Ahmedabad’s Navratri traffic plan will keep police personnel deployed at key junctions until 3 am, extend restrictions on heavy vehicles until 2 am and reopen a 1.5-kilometre road between YMCA and Karnavati Club before the first night of the festival, city police officials said.
The arrangements cover the Sardar Patel Ring Road, Sardar Patel-Gandhinagar Highway and major traffic junctions along SG Highway, where large crowds are expected at garba venues. Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot said traffic and security preparations were being coordinated to prevent late-night congestion and maintain public safety during the festival.
According to traffic police, heavy vehicles including dumpers, trucks and large luxury buses will be barred from entering Ahmedabad between 10 pm and 2 am from October 11 to October 20. The existing restriction, which normally applies until 10 pm, has been extended during the Navratri period. The vehicles will be allowed to enter the city after 2 am.
Police will remain deployed until 3 am at locations expected to experience high traffic and large crowds. These include the YMCA area, Karnavati Club, Ujala Circle, the road from YMCA towards the SP Ring Road, Ognaj Circle and Vaishnodevi Circle. Officers will also be stationed at other junctions identified as likely congestion points.
Traffic police officials said the lower road between YMCA Club and Karnavati Club, which was closed because of bridge-related work, is being completed on an urgent basis in coordination with the contractor. The 1.5-kilometre stretch is expected to be ready within two days and will be opened for traffic on the first night of Navratri. The police commissioner has also inspected the route.
The city’s traffic arrangements will include 20 cranes to remove vehicles that obstruct roads or are parked in restricted areas. Police have appealed to garba visitors to use designated parking areas and avoid leaving vehicles on roads likely to carry festival traffic. Lighting will be improved in poorly lit areas with assistance from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and highway authorities.
The wider security plan includes police approval for commercial garba events only after organisers obtain fire safety clearances. The city has about 1,300 locations hosting street garba events, while the approval process for 84 commercial garba venues is under way, according to the police commissioner.
Forty-nine SHE Teams will be deployed at garba grounds in uniform and traditional garba clothing to assist women and respond to complaints. Police said women can call the 181 helpline for immediate assistance. The teams have also visited organisers and garba classes to issue safety instructions. Ahmedabad city and rural police will coordinate security at venues outside the main city area.
The police will additionally use anti-narcotics testing kits, drug-testing equipment and breath analysers during the festival. The cyber security team will monitor the circulation of photographs of women online, and action will be taken against people who photograph or share such images without permission. Police have also warned against fraudulent online garba passes and said action will be taken when fake passes are detected.
