Bidhannagar police have planned extensive security, crowd-management and traffic arrangements for Saturday evening’s India-Brazil exhibition match at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, almost a year after disorder during Lionel Messi’s visit to the venue raised concerns about managing large crowds.
Bidhannagar police commissioner Rathore Amit Kumar Bharat said a large contingent would be deployed around the stadium and along roads leading to it. The police are also installing traffic signage and making parking arrangements, with the stated aim of protecting spectators and players while keeping movement in the surrounding areas orderly.
“We have made arrangements keeping in mind the convenience and safety of spectators. Traffic signage is being installed around the stadium and parking arrangements are also being made,” Bharat said, according to the report.
The preparations cover more than security checks at the stadium gates. Police said they would manage spectators from the approach roads through to entry points, a response that places crowd movement and road access at the centre of the event plan. With the match expected to draw a large audience, the surrounding road network will have to accommodate spectators arriving at different times as well as regular traffic in the area.
Spectators will not be permitted to carry narcotic substances, firecrackers, laser lights, banners, hoardings, posters, umbrellas or water bottles into the stadium. The police said the restrictions were intended to protect spectators and players. The commissioner added that the arrangements were being made in accordance with rules and restrictions prescribed by Fifa.
The security plan follows the experience of Lionel Messi’s event at the same venue nearly a year ago, when disorder prompted questions about crowd management and security. The latest arrangements indicate that police attention is focused not only on the event inside the stadium but also on the transition points outside it, including approach roads, parking areas and entry routes.
For spectators, the restrictions mean that access to the stadium will depend on complying with the prohibited-items list and following instructions from security personnel. The police have appealed to visitors to cooperate with officers, obey directions at the venue and avoid carrying restricted articles.
The match is scheduled to take place on Saturday evening. Police deployment, traffic signage, parking arrangements and access management are the stated operational measures for the event, while the authorities’ appeal for spectator cooperation remains central to the plan.