With a dip in mercury, places like Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Dimna Lake, are flooded with picnickers these days. In view of the increasing rush at picnic places, the administration has decided to beef up security at Dimna Lake, Hudco Dam in Telco and Kanderbera, NH 33.
In view of rising rush, the East Singhbhum district administration has made elaborate deployment of policemen — both armed and lathi-wielding — along with executive magistrates to maintain the law and order situation during the celebrations.
“We need to ensure the safety of picnickers in view of pandemic Covid-19. Steps are taken to ensure safety at picnic spots as New Year is inching closer. The security arrangements have been fairly strict with about a dozen guards in each of the spots, keeping the crowd under control besides monitoring their safety,” said a senior police official.
While policemen will keep a watch at Burudih Dam in Ghatshila sub-division and Narwah under the Sundernagar police station area, at Dimna, the job has been given to local villagers.
Although scores of holiday makers, especially from Bengal, visit all these places every winter, Dimna remains the top draw. The place becomes very crowded during this season. And taking advantage of the chaos, local hoodlums create trouble.
Eve teasing is another menace in these gatherings, and youngsters haunt these spots and try to get too friendly with the fair sex picnickers.
Patrolling teams will include women constables. The idea is to prevent eve-teasing cases and ensure that nobody is able to forcibly enter picnic spots and party venues. Ladies constables will also be deployed in some of the sensitive areas marked by the police to tackle with the eve teasers. They have been instructed to take action immediately if any instance of eve teasing is found around them. “We are dedicated to providing a peaceful atmosphere to the people for New Year celebrations and we are doing our best for that,” he said.