Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar has urged citizens to stop holding midnight birthday celebrations and cake-cutting events on Tank Bund, major roads, lakefronts and public parks after a fatal accident involving a family celebrating a child’s birthday. He said late-night gatherings in public spaces can expose children and other participants to serious traffic risks.
The warning follows an accident on Tank Bund at around 2 am in which a family had reportedly arrived to celebrate the birthday of a six-year-old girl. The child and one family member died in the incident, while other injured persons were taken to hospital by police. The efforts to save the victims were unsuccessful, according to the commissioner’s account reported by Telangana Today.
Sajjanar said he inspected the accident site along with senior police officials after the incident. He also held a review with various government departments to identify measures that could help prevent similar accidents in the city. The review places the issue beyond individual celebrations, involving the management of roads, lakefronts and other public spaces during late-night hours.
The commissioner specifically appealed to youngsters and parents not to bring children to roads or open public locations for midnight celebrations. He said traffic could move at high speeds during the early hours, making roadside gatherings particularly dangerous. Sajjanar advised residents to celebrate birthdays at home or at other safer venues instead.
According to the commissioner, birthday celebrations on Tank Bund are already prohibited under existing rules. He cited earlier directions issued by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Despite regular police efforts to disperse groups gathering at the location, some people reportedly continue to return during midnight hours.
Tank Bund’s location along Hussain Sagar makes it a prominent public destination, but its roads also carry moving traffic and are not designated as late-night celebration venues. The police warning highlights the difficulty of managing public spaces where recreational activity, pedestrian movement and vehicular traffic overlap, particularly when gatherings take place after midnight.
Sajjanar urged citizens not to risk lives for what he described as momentary enjoyment. The immediate response under review includes the inspection of the accident site, coordination with government departments and continued police efforts to prevent midnight gatherings at Tank Bund, lake areas and other public places.
