Two companies of jawans may descend on Mumbai during Ganpati Visarjan

BSF

As the city prepared to bid farewell to Ganpati this year, security agencies prepared themselves for a task of a different nature - keeping a hawk eye on the city during visarjan.

Also read: This Ganeshotsav, over 200 BSF jawans will keep a vigil over Mumbai

BSF personnel outside Lalbaugcha Raja pandal. Pic/Sameer Syed Abedi

According to sources, two companies of jawans from the Border Security Force (BSF) were called to Mumbai to put a special Ganpati bandobast in place. They will be posted at strategic locations devotees will pass through, en route to Girgaum Chowpatty, to immerse their Ganpati idols. However, plans will be finalised only today. The jawans are also expected to be positioned on the top of the city's buildings and near the Lalbaugcha Raja immersion procession, at ground level.

On August 31, sunday mid-day had reported how for the first time, around 250 Border Security Force jawans from Gujarat have been posted across the city this Ganpati festival (titled ‘This Ganeshotsav, over 200 BSF jawans will keep a vigil over Mumbai').

Taking serious note of another mid-day article which highlighted the plight of the BSF jawans put on Ganpati bandobast duty (September 4, titled ‘BSF jawans made to sleep on floor in mosquito-infested Mumbai school'), a company manufacturing mosquito repellents volunteered to distribute the product, costing more than Rs 50,000, to the jawans on Friday.

Lt General Ashok Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, who visited Mumbai from September 4-6, stressed on the importance of being vigilant in reporting suspected security threats. He reviewed the operational and military readiness of the Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa army units around Mumbai and also evaluated the administrative efficiency of Colaba Military Station. He took stock of training and welfare issues, which affect troops posted at the station.