Ahmedabad traffic police have installed 10 watchtowers at major intersections across the city to manage vehicle movement during Navratri, with personnel using elevated positions and loudspeakers to regulate traffic and alert motorists to road rules.
The approximately eight-foot-high towers have been placed at key junctions in western and eastern Ahmedabad. Traffic police said the arrangement is intended to give personnel a clearer view of vehicle movement at busy intersections during the festival period, when traffic volumes are expected to rise around major gathering and movement points.
Eight of the watchtowers have been set up in western Ahmedabad, where the traffic police said vehicle pressure is higher. Locations identified in the report include Helmet Crossroads, the area near Karnavati Club, Sindhu Bhavan near Bodakdev, Taj Hotel Circle and ISKCON Crossroads. Two additional towers have been installed in eastern areas, including Naroda, Nikol and Narol.
One traffic constable will be stationed on each tower. From the elevated platform, personnel will help regulate vehicles and observe traffic flows across the junction. They will also use loudspeakers to draw motorists’ attention to traffic regulations and provide instructions when required.
The initiative has been introduced under the guidance of the city police commissioner. Western traffic deputy commissioner B R Patel said the elevated position would allow traffic personnel to monitor vehicles more easily and regulate movement from above. The loudspeaker announcements are also intended to make drivers more aware of traffic rules during the festival.
Ahmedabad traffic police have separately deployed thousands of personnel for traffic arrangements during Navratri. The watchtowers are part of this broader festival-period deployment, which focuses on maintaining movement at intersections in both the western and eastern parts of the city.
The arrangement is currently described as a pilot limited to Navratri. After the festival, the traffic department will assess the results before deciding whether the watchtowers should be used during future festivals. The assessment will determine whether the elevated monitoring system improves traffic regulation enough to justify continuing the arrangement beyond the current deployment.
