Bangalore: The city is in a party mood but is the administration on the same page?
To help revellers ring in the New Year, the police and excise departments have relaxed the 11 pm curfew and allowed bars and rsataurants to serve alcohol and food till 1 am.
With most party-goers descending on the Central Business District on Wednesday night, the police will enforce a pedestrian-only zone on Brigade Road, MG Road and surroundings.
Also, Brigade Road will turn into a one-way for pedestrians.
They can only walk from the MG Road Junction to Opera Theatre junction and not the other way.
If they want to come back to M.G. Road, they have to proceed via Residency Road Cross (near Shankar Nag theatre).
More than 700 policemen and 50 CCTV cameras in the CBD will keep a watch on the revellers. Nearly 15,000 policemen across the city will ensure a safe and a happy New Year.
New traffic centre: Will it bring order?
Bangalore: Over the next three months, cameras will be fitted at 100 more traffic junctions in the city and will be connected to the new Traffic Management Centre (TMC) on Infantry Road, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday.
The centre is now connected to 179 junction cameras. Apart from managing traffic, the centre will also keep an eye on sensitive installations, like shopping centres and important government buildings.
A senior traffic official said the work is going on to install the 100 cameras. The new cameras have better recording capabilities even in low light.
Police personnel monitoring city traffic during the inauguration of Traffic Management Centre on Infantry Road in Bengaluru on Monday — DC
“The present cameras (179) provide quality footage only during daylight. If there is a hit-and-run case or a driver refuses to stop at checking points in the night, it becomes difficult for us to access the registration numbers of these vehicles,” he said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B. Dayanand said the junction cameras will increase security of critical infrastructure and enhance situational awareness for first responders.
“With the new TMC, we can manage the city traffic better. Many a time, traffic congestions occur because a BMTC bus or any other large vehicle would have broken down on the road. The TMC team will be able to coordinate and assist the police on the ground to clear road blocks,” he said.
30 watchtowers in CBD to keep check on revellers
Bangalore: The police have set up 30 watchtowers around Brigade Road and M.G. Road to avoid any untoward incidents on the New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“Our policemen will observe and videograph happenings on Brigade Road, M.G. Road and surroundings from these towers. Also, 50 CCTV cameras have been installed in the area to keep a watch on suspicious people. Our policemen on ground will also be equipped with cameras,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Kamal Pant.
Twenty Karnataka State Reserve Police and 15 City Armed Reserve platoons will be stationed in the area. Seven DCPs, five ACPS, inspectors, sub-inspectorsand other officers will be deputed for bandobust, he said.
“Those who misbehave or indulge in drunk driving or drag racing will be booked and stern action will be taken against them,” he said.
No entry for vehicles
There will be no entry for vehicles except police vehicles and vehicles of essential services, from any direction from 8 pm on Tuesday to 1 am on Wednesday on the M.G.Road (from Anil Kumble junction to the junction with Residency road near Mayo Hall), Brigade Road (from Cauvery Emporium Junction to Opera Junction), Church Street (from Brigade Road to Museum Road Junction), Museum road (from M.G. Road to Old Madras Bank road junction), Rest House Road (from Museum Road to Brigade Road junction), Kamaraj Road (from Cauvery Emporium junction to Cubbon Road), Residency Cross Road, (Residency Road to Shankar Nag Theatre junction).
Parking of all types of vehicles except police vehicles and vehicles of essential services is prohibited from 4 pm on Tuesday to 3 am on Wednesday on M.G. Road (Anil Kumble junction to Trinity Circle), Brigade Road (Arts and Crafts junction to Opera Junction), Church Street, Rest House Road and Museum Road.
The movement of vehicles on flyovers will be closed from 9 pm on Tuesday till 6 am on Wednesday to avoid accidents.
Vehicles parked on M.G. Road, Brigade Road, Rest House Road, Church Street, Residency Road and St Mark’s Road after 4 pm on Tuesday will be towed away.
Next: Doctors warn against binge drinking on New Year’s Eve
Doctors warn against binge drinking on New Year’s Eve
Luna Dewan |?DC
Bangalore: It is binge drinking time and people, irrespective of their age, indulge in it with gusto. However, city doctors warn that binge drinking can be even more dangerous than chronic drinking. If too much of alcohol is taken in a short duration, the body fails to metabolize the excess alcohol, which in turn affects various organs, they said.
As per an Assocham survey, Bengaluru comes third in the country in terms of binge drinking during the New Year’s Eve, after Goa and Mumbai.
After every New Year party Cardiologists and Gastroenterologists in city do get cases of those affected by binge drinking. Dr George Alexander, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Yeshwantpur said, “A 25-year-old man had come to our centre following the new year eve party last year with blood vomiting and esophageal ulcer and we had to administer blood.
Another 22-year-old was rushed with inflammation of pancreas. All these have a long standing effect on a person’s body. Heavy drinking or drinking till you drop can lead to irregular heart beat, increased blood pressure and in turn increases the chances of a heart attack.
“Binge drinking is more dangerous than chronic drinking, as the liver struggles to handle the alcohol overload. It isn’t only the heart, but other organs such as liver and pancreas are also at risk. It also damages brain, thereby reducing their lack of concentration.”
When consumed in small quantity, alcohol can be beneficial, but if one indulges in binge drinking, it primarily affects the heart pumping capacity, leading to acute hypertension and blood pressure fluctuation.
The heart is unprepared to take up the huge amount of alcohol and this problem persists more among the younger people and they land up with acute cardiac problems, said Dr V. S. Prakash, Professor and HoD, Cardiology Department, MS Ramaiah Hospital.
Along with binge drinking, party revelers also smoke and this all the more affects the heart, he added.
