Andhra Pradesh: Drone Surveillance, Control Rooms to Curb Cockfights During Sankranti
Police warn of strict action across Godavari, Kakinada districts
Kakinada: With cockfights and gambling activities expected to surface during the Sankranti festival, police and district authorities across the Godavari and Kakinada regions have stepped up surveillance, including the use of drone cameras, and warned of stringent action against organisers and participants.
Kakinada in-charge district collector Apoorva Bharat said a district-level control room has been set up at the Collectorate from January 13 to 18 to receive information and complaints related to cockfights and gambling. Members of the public can report such activities by calling 0884-2356801.
He said the move was in line with the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s directions to strictly prohibit cockfighting during Sankranti 2026. The control room will coordinate with joint inspection teams and field officers to ensure prompt action. It will be staffed by officials from the Revenue, Police and Animal Husbandry departments. Any lapse or delay in responding to complaints will invite disciplinary action, he warned.
Superintendents of Police from West Godavari (Adnan Nayeem Asmi), East Godavari (D. Narsimha Kishore), Eluru (K. Pratap Shiva Kishore) and Kakinada (G. Bindu Madhav) issued a joint warning that cockfights, card games, dice games and all forms of gambling are strictly prohibited. They said police would not tolerate any antisocial activity under the guise of festival celebrations.
The SPs said advanced surveillance, including drone technology, was being deployed to identify gambling dens and take swift action. The measures, they said, were aimed at protecting families from financial ruin during the festive season and maintaining law and order.
Meanwhile, Chatrai police under the Nuzvid division destroyed cockfighting arenas at Janardhanavaram village on Tuesday, Nuzvid circle inspector K. Ramakrishna said. In a separate action, Ganapavaram police arrested a carpenter, M. Sivaji, at Chinna Ramachandrapuram village and seized 200 cockfighting knives and a 16 HP grinding motor used to manufacture the blades.
