Security tightened for Pongal celebrations in southern districts

The police have geared up to ensure Pongal peaceful celebrations by deploying more number of police personnel in the places where the people gather in large number in the four southern districts and intensifying patrolling.

As the three-day-long Pongal celebrations would be so vibrant in the southern districts of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari every year, policing during this time would be really tough in these highly volatile districts. Apart from the police personnel attached to the police stations, the armed reserve policemen have also been roped in to beef-up security arrangements.

Since rural sports would be organised enthusiastically in almost every village of the southern districts as part of Pongal celebrations and had triggered minor altercations in the past in a few places, deployment of police even in small numbers in the hamlets would effectively avert such disturbances. Hence, Superintendents of Police of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts, on instruction from Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, P. Saravanan, have ensured visible policing in troublesome villages.

In Kanniyakumari district, Superintendent of Police R. Stalin has retained the check-posts created on important stretches during Christmas and New Year where police personnel with breathalysers have been deployed to check drunken driving. Police would be deployed in sufficient number in the international tourist destination of Kanniyakumari, particularly along the beach, and in the dams to ensure the safety of the visitors.

Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi, N. Silambarasan has instructed the police to avert rash driving of bikes without helmet and other traffic rule violations which often lead to fatal accidents during Pongal. Moreover, the police stations situated close to the Tamirabharani watercourse and the beaches have been instructed to ensure due security arrangements to avert incidents like drowning.

“We’ve already cracked whip against the traffic rule violators by registering cases,” said an officer attached to the Traffic Wing.

As these four districts have been blessed with good number of picnic spots which would get swarmed by the tourists during Pongal holidays, particularly on ‘kari naal’, the next day after Pongal, due security plans have been drawn for these places that include dams, beaches, Tamirabharani watercourse etc.

Superintendents of Police G.S. Madhavan of Tenkasi and V. Prasannakumar of Tirunelveli have asked the subordinates to track the notorious criminals in their jurisdiction even while ensuring law and order.

“Small teams, each led by a Sub-Inspector, have already been deployed in every police station limits since New Year to track the criminals, which is reinforced during Pongal. We’ve already flushed out most of the notorious criminals out of the boundaries of Tenkasi district as we want to ensure peaceful celebrations here,” said Mr. Madhavan.

Commissioner of Police, Tirunelveli City, N. Manivannan, who has already served in Tirunelveli district as Deputy Commissioner of Police, and Superintendent of Police, Tirunelveli, has personally drawn the ‘security plan’ for the city with 600 police personnel.

“The deployment of police personnel as per this plan started on Wednesday which will be ensured till Sunday,” said Mr. Manivannan.