Bangalore: Some things may be missing from this year's Vinakaya Chaturthi celebrations: collection of donations by festival committees and loud speakers blaring till late into the night.

The city police have issued strict guidelines to be followed by festival organisers.

They will also inform the people about how crime can be prevented at crowded venues during the festival.

Under scanner

The police will keep track of organisations which conduct public pujas. While they have the right to collect voluntary donations from people in their neighbourhood, action will be taken if instances of forcible collection come to their notice. Pandals can be put up with permission from civic authorities. Any move to commercialise the occasion by way of prize draws and lotteries will not be allowed.

While warnings against pilferage of power are issued every year, they are often ignored. The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company has decided to take strict action if unauthorised power connections are taken for illumination or audio systems.

The police have clarified that loudspeakers should not be used after 10 p.m. in residential areas. If there are complaints, police personnel on patrols can disconnect the sound systems. While it is more difficult to curb collection of "donations," the police are encouraging the public to lodge complaints.

The police have initiated discussions with festival organisers in various neighbourhoods and told them that they should get authorisation and no objection certificates from authorities such as the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company before putting up pandals. The police are also concerned about safety of the public because at the venues of some long established festivals, thousands of people, including women and children gather.

Sometimes there are stampedes during distribution of "prasad" and during darshan and the organisers are asked to take precautions.

Instruction for immersion

The police and other authorities such as Bangalore Mahanagara Palike will be issuing instructions for the immersion ceremonies, specifying places where the idols can be immersed. Ulsoor Lake and Sankey Tank have been designated immersion ponds where idols can be immersed. The festival organisers have also been requested to avoid installing large idols that cannot be easily immersed.

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