The police force has warrned that it would take action against the people, who wild around taking alcohol and drugs while celebrating holi, drink-driving and forceful smearing of colors and ´lola´. [break]
Police Commissioner AIG Nawaraj Dhakal said: "We have made the arrangements to prevent untoward incidents such as gang fights and unruly behaviors. We have made the security arrangements, so that no woman and tourist are physically abused during the holi festival."
AIG Dhakal said MPCO will deploy more than 9,000 police personnel both in plainclothes and uniforms, including additional police force in incident-prone areas of three districts of Kathmandu valley.
Police will be deployed at various check-points with striking, mobile and reserved forces, DSP Chakra Bahadur Singh, spokesperson at Metropolitan Police Range Office, Hanumandhoka, said: "There will be foot patrols, motorcycle patrols and plainclothes policemen," he added.
MPCO has made arrangement of deploying 948 police personnel separately, in five different places -- Kalanki- Kalimati area, Ratnapark-Putalisadak area, Baneshwor-Koteswor area, Balaju-Banasthali area and Gausala-Kalopul area as supporting force. He also informed that six squads of striking forces each with fifteen police personnel will be inspecting different areas of the valley and twenty mobile forces will be visiting different places. And, we have made arrangements of 45 spots with special picket, he explained.
"There is a deep significance behind holi as we share our happiness with colors, so it should never be allowed to be an ugly celebration," AIG Dhakal said. "We organized several awareness campaigns in the valley," adding he said, "so we expect a peaceful holi this year. "The practice of consuming bhang and ganja are also strictly prohibited during the holi celebration," he said.
Likewise, Metropolitan Police Traffic Division (MPTD) has also decided to take strict action against those riding motorcycles without helmets, three persons on a motorcycle and drink-driving. DSP Pawan Giri, spokesperson at MPTD, said traffic police personnel will be deployed between 10 am and 7 pm in 64 check-points in the valley. DSP Giri further said: "Ten mobile teams under the command of senior officers will be deployed throughout the day. We will be more focused on accident-prone zones."
About 1000 traffic police personnel will be on duty on Tuesday, according to MPTD.
MPRO informed that any one found flaunting the prohibitory order or involved in unsolicited holi will not be spared. Police on Monday handed over two dozen of youths to their parents after they were found involved in unruly behavior, DSP Singh said.
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