Around 15,000 police personnel have been deployed across the national capital to ensure celebrations go off smoothly on the New Year's Eve, with special traffic arrangements made to regulate movement of revellers, police said.
A special focus has been given to Connaught Place and the areas around it. All vehicular movement will be restricted from 8 pm onwards to the posh commercial hub till the celebrations conclude, they said.
Also, in view of security measures, exit facility at the Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be available for commuters from 9 pm onwards.
Rajiv Chowk, located adjacent to Connaught Place and one of the busiest stations of the Delhi Metro, caters to both the Blue Line and the Yellow Line.
A large number of revellers converge at Connaught Place to ring in the new year with celebrations every year.
"Vehicular traffic in the inner, middle or outer circle of Connaught Place will not be allowed," Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B K Singh said.
Elaborate arrangements have also been made at and around India Gate for regulation of traffic.
Heavy pedestrian movement, vehicles may not be allowed to go through C-Hexagon, India Gate area and diverted from Q point, R/A MLNP, R/A Sunheri Masjid, R/A Mar-Janpath, Rajpath Rafi Marg, R/A Windsor Place, R/A Rajindra Prasad Road-Janpath, KG Marg-Ferozeshah road, R/A Mandi House, W-Point, Mathura Road-Purana Qila road, Mathura Road-Sher Shah road, SBM-Zakir Hussain Marg and SBM-Pandara road, an official release said.
Visitors have been advised to use public transport as there is an acute shortage of parking space at India Gate, it said.
In view of large gathering expected at Delhi Zoo resulting in congestion on Mathura Road, motorists are advised to avoid Bhairon Road and Mathura Road between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Pragati Maidan, it said.
Last year, more than two lakh people thronged at India Gate and the adjoining areas to celebrate the new year which led to massive traffic snarls, the statement said.
To ensure that women safety is not compromised, women police personnel will also be deployed in plain clothes at various strategic locations across the city, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma said.
"We have deployed around 15,000 police personnel across Delhi to maintain the law and order situation on the eve of New Year to ensure that the celebrations go smoothly," Verma said.
Any incident of hooliganism and drunk driving will be dealt strictly, he added.
Special picket team, including the traffic police, PCR and women personnel, will be deployed at various locations to ensure that no untoward incident happens, he said.
Maximum police personnel will be deployed at crowded places like malls, markets and metro stations, the official said.
Senior officers will closely monitor the situation at district level. Fire tenders will be on patrolling duty around popular party hubs to ensure that there is no delay in helping people in case of any incident, police said.
"As advised by Delhi Police authorities, exit of passengers from the Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be permitted from 9 pm onwards on New Year's Eve, i.e., December 31. This is to enable the authorities to maintain peace, and law and order during New Year Eve's celebrations in New Delhi district area," Delhi Metro said in a statement.
However, passengers will be allowed to enter the Rajiv Chowk metro station after 9 pm to board trains, it said.
"Interchange facility between Line-2 (HUDA City Centre - Samaypur Badli) and Line-3/4 (Dwarka Sec-21 - NOIDA City Centre/Vaishali) will continue as usual at the Rajiv Chowk metro station till the end of services. Services at all other metro corridors and stations will continue normally," it said.
Hotels and restaurants where parties will be organised have also been briefed about the preventive measures to be taken, officials said.
They said a special drive against drunk driving, jumping signals and dangerous driving will be undertaken by the traffic police.
According to the traffic advisory, vehicles will not be allowed to proceed towards Connaught Place beyond roundabout of Mandi House, roundabout of Bengali Market, north foot of Ranjit Singh Flyover, Minto Road, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg crossing, Chelmsford Road near Munje Chowk (New Delhi Railway Station), RK Ashram Marg-Chitragupta, roundabout of Gole Market, roundabout of GPO, Patel Chowk, Kasturba Gandhi Road-Ferozshah Road Crossing, Jai Singh Road-Bangla Sahib Lane and roundabout of Windsor Place.
Motorists can park their vehicles at only specific places in the vicinity of Connaught Place, which includes certain locations near Gole Dak Khana, Patel Chowk on Rakab Ganj Road behind AIR, near Mandi House on Copernicus Marg upto Baroda house, near Minto Road on DD Upadhaya Marg and Press Road area, Panchkuian Road on RK Ashram Marg, Chitragupta Road and Basant Road towards Paharganj, KG Marg near Ferozshah Road or KG Marg to 'C' Hexagon and near Windsor Place.
Alternative routes have been arranged for commuters travelling to the New Delhi railway station. However, routes to the Old Delhi railway station will not be affected, the officials said.
Special traffic arrangements have also been made at Saket, Greater Kailash, Lajpat Nagar, New Friends Colony, Hauz Khas, Defence Colony, Vasant Vihar, RK Puram, Nehru Place, Dwarka, Palam Airport, Rajouri Garden, Ashok Vihar, Model Town and Mayur Vihar.
Police have advised motorists to use alternative routes available for North-South directions which includes Ring Road from ISBT to Ashram or via Delhi Gate, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Mathura Road to reach Ashram and via vice-versa or via ISBT, Rani Jhansi Marg, Punchkuyan Road, Mandir Marg, Park Street, Mother Teresa Crescent Road and beyond or via Rani Jhansi Marg, Punchkuyan Road, Hanuman Murti and Ring Road.
"For East-West movement - Ring Road, Bhairon Road, 'C' Hexagon-India Gate, Akbar Road, Mother Teresa Crescent, round about of RML, Park Street and Shankar Road have been suggested," the officials said.
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