Ahmedabad: With large crowds expected at Garba venues across Ahmedabad, the city police are combining technology, dedicated women’s safety teams and intensified ground-level checks to secure the nine-day festival.

Ahmedabad’s Navratri celebrations are being backed by an extensive security plan, with more than 14,000 police and Home Guard personnel, around 4,000 CCTV cameras and AI-enabled surveillance forming key elements of the city’s arrangements.

The measures are aimed at managing large gatherings, preventing incidents and ensuring that residents and visitors can participate in Garba celebrations safely.

Around 4,000 CCTV cameras will feed into the city’s surveillance network, supported by pan-tilt-zoom cameras at strategic locations. AI-enabled systems at selected venues will help monitor crowd numbers and density, allowing authorities to keep track of gathering patterns.

Facial-recognition technology is also planned at select locations to help identify individuals linked to previous disturbances. The technology-led arrangements are intended to support police monitoring and enable a quicker response where required.

SHE teams to focus on women’s safety

Women’s safety is another key component of Ahmedabad’s security arrangements. Around 300 SHE Team personnel are part of the plan, with women police officers deployed in uniform and plain clothes to monitor Garba venues and surrounding areas.

The teams are expected to help deter harassment, respond to complaints and make it easier for women to seek assistance during the festivities.

Alongside physical surveillance, cybercrime teams will monitor online activity for the misuse of photographs and videos of women attending Garba events. The Cyber Rakshak initiative is intended to help flag such misuse and strengthen digital safety during the festival.

On the ground, police will use checkpoints, patrolling, drug-detection kits and breath analysers as part of efforts to prevent violations and maintain order. Authorities are also coordinating traffic management and enforcement around event venues, including checks related to permissions and safety requirements.

The focus of Ahmedabad Police is to manage the crowds drawn by Navratri while allowing the city’s much-loved Garba celebrations to continue in a secure environment.

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— Ahmedabad Police અમદાવાદ પોલીસ (@AhmedabadPolice) October 12, 2026

BI Bureau