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Delhi forms teams to enforce firecracker ban, ensure security in public spaces

New Delhi
Three-hundred-seventy-seven enforcement teams, including 300 Delhi Police teams, have been mobilised to enforce the blanket ban on firecracker bursting in the Capital in the run-up to the Diwali festival, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday.
In a meeting held at the secretariat, officials were apprised that over 19,000 kilogram of firecrackers have been seized in the city and 79 cases on the sale and storage of firecrackers have been filed, officials aware of the development said.
“For this reason, a complete ban has been imposed on the manufacture, storage, sale (including delivery through online platforms), and burning of firecrackers (in the city). To enforce this ban, 377 teams have been formed, which include 300 teams from the Delhi Police and 77 from the revenue department of the Delhi government. These teams are continuously monitoring all of Delhi,” Rai said in a statement after the meeting.
Rai said that the city police have been instructed to hold meetings with residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), market welfare associations (MWAs), and religious committees to spread public awareness about the firecracker ban. The government has launched the “Diya Jalao, Patakha Nahi” programme to raise awareness about the firecracker ban, he said.
Rai said that pollution caused by firecrackers during Diwali makes Delhi’s air extremely hazardous, posing a serious threat to children and the elderly.
Senior police officers said that officers of all ranks at police stations across the city have been directed to ensure strict enforcement of the ban on firecrackers and take legal action against people caught bursting firecrackers.
Security arrangements
Intelligence inputs coupled with a recent blast outside the CRPF School in Rohini have led Delhi Police to intensify their presence and patrolling at public places, especially high-footfall areas, such as markets and shopping malls.
Police said they are regularly holding mock drills at random to assess the preparedness of security personnel and other agencies for any possible security threat.
“The members of bomb detection and disposal squads (BDS), and dog squads have been directed to conduct regular anti-sabotage checks and searches in high-footfall areas and look for suspicious objects. In markets, such as Sarojini Nagar, Karol Bagh, Lajpat Nagar and Sadar Bazar, police have installed machans (raised platforms) where personnel armed with long range weapons have been deployed to keep a hawk eye on visitors. Morchas, in the form of sandbags, have also been set up at strategic locations at the public places,” an officer, wishing not to be named, said.
Police have been meeting RWAs, MWAs, Aman Committees and members of the Eyes and Ears programme to strengthen community policing, promote peace and communal harmony, and address local concerns, deputy commissioner of police (outer) Sachin Sharma said.
“The police staff foot patrol busy areas, markets, and residential zones to ensure prompt response to (untoward) incidents and maintain public safety during festive seasons. Checking of parking lots, vehicles, hotels, guest houses, paying guest accommodations are also being done,” the DCP said.

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