Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Gaël Rangain
Published on 2024-03-02 11:00:02
The first influx of devotees to Grand Bassin on the sidelines of the Maha Shivaratree festival begins this weekend. It is mainly devotees from the Northern region who are starting their pilgrimage, followed by those from other regions next week. The Central Police Barracks have taken special measures to ensure the public’s security. Starting today, Main Tactical Headquarters (TAC HQ) will be in operation from 8am to 4pm on Friday, March 8, while two other Sub-Tac will be set up at La-Marie and Grand-Bois. All information related to the movement of pilgrims will be transmitted to the TAC HQ.
Additionally, the police have divided the areas surrounding Grand Bassin into five zones, starting from Bonne-Terre to La-Marie. As a result, five Temporary Police Posts will operate along this route with the presence of Special Mobile Force elements. All these Command and Control units on the ground will be under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rashidali Beekun.
Police Commissioner Anil Kumar Dip had a working session with senior officers last month to ensure the smooth functioning of his troops. Officers have been instructed to facilitate the movement of devotees and traffic, prevent obstructions on main roads, maintain public order, gather information on individuals engaging in illegal activities such as begging, ensure that no drones fly over certain areas, and collaborate with Frontliners to ensure security.
Each police unit has received instructions regarding the tasks to be carried out. The Special Mobile Force will have divers and boats near the lake for interventions if necessary. They will also assist their colleagues with other tasks, while regular police will be deployed across the island to ensure the security of pilgrims and the general public. The Traffic Branch will handle road traffic. A Special Deployment is scheduled to start this Saturday, and motorcyclists will patrol La-Louise, La-Marie, Pont-Carbonel, La-Brasserie, Avalon, Bois-Cheri, La-Flora, Pétrin, Bassin-Blanc, Plaine-Champagne, among others, day and night. They will gather traffic information to be communicated to the public through the media. A daily register will be compiled to determine the number of vehicles heading to or leaving Grand Bassin.
Teams from the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit will also be present, with instructions to detect any drug-related cases, supported by elements from the National Security Service. Meanwhile, the police helicopter will be deployed to fly over the Grand Bassin region and provide information on crowd movements on the roads. A Helipad is set up at Grand Bassin with a standby team ready to transport anyone requiring urgent medical care. In the meantime, plainclothes police officers will blend in with the crowd to detect any theft or illegal begging cases. Additionally, police officers will be stationed at strategic locations such as bus and train stations, main roads in towns, and near places of worship during prayers.
Furthermore, the police have designated six parking spaces for pilgrims: Petrin, Main Car Park (Durga Maa Parking), Mangal Mahadev Parking, Hanuman Hill (GPS Car Park), Avalon, and along Governor Lane at Grand Bassin. One last space will be reserved for officials and VVIPs. Special Route buses will drop off passengers at the Main Car Park and pick them up on Governor Lane.
The police are calling on devotees carrying kanwars to respect the recommended height limit set by the authorities. They also urge people not to touch or manipulate the power lines along the roads.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
