New Year's Eve: All Roads Leading To Delhi's Connaught Place Closed For Traffic | Check Alternative Routes

New Delhi: To ensure law and order are maintained in the national capital, the Delhi Police ramped up vehicle checking across the city on Tuesday evening for the New Year 's Eve.

Besides, cops have also set up barricades and imposed traffic restrictions particularly in and around Connaught Place.

All the roads leading to Connaught Place, including KG Marg, Parliament Street Barakhamba Road and Janpath, are closed for traffic and the police are directing commuters to take alternative routes.

As a result, heavy traffic was witnessed in the central Delhi area.

Besides central Delhi, the vehicles are being checked intensively at key locations of the city, including south Delhi's Hauz Khas and Saket, east Delhi's Vikas Marg, west Delhi's Rajouri Garden, to prevent any untoward incident, a senior police officer said.

The personnel are also using a breath analyser and checking the motorists whether they are driving under the influence of alcohol near Connaught Place and other areas. The sensitive areas are being checked through foot patrolling. The police are also using bikes for the narrow lanes at several locations, they said.

Apart from this, the drones have also been pressed into the job of maintaining law and order situation in the city, police said.

The officer further said that their focus is on the motorists who are not following the traffic rules.

"We have deployed around 50 teams with alcometers at key locations and they are monitoring and prosecuting any instances of drunk driving. The picket staff at different places have also been provided the alcometers so that they can also prosecute the violators," the officer said.

Around 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the city to maintain law and order. They are also checking at the bordering areas of the city, another officer said.

The officer further said that the traffic personnel have also been deployed in significant numbers throughout the city, especially at popular celebration hotspots like Connaught Place, Hauz Khas and India Gate.

According to the police, the crowd has gathered at various areas, including Connaught Place where special arrangements have been made.

Connaught Place is in the central part of the city and people from all across the national capital as well as neighbouring states also come here every year to celebrate the New Year, police said.

"The restrictions have been imposed in the Connaught Place area till the end of the celebrations. It has been applicable to all private and public transport vehicles. Only those vehicles having valid stickers are allowed in Connaught Place after 8 pm. Apart from this, ten spots have been identified at the Connaught Place where people can't go with their vehicles," the officer stated.

Additionally, staff has been deployed at 14 points at the India Gate with restrictions have been imposed to prevent overcrowding in the area.

Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora will also visit several locations across the city.

In south Delhi, the traffic has been regulated on certain roads near Select City Mall. The traffic has been diverted from the Sheikh Sarai red light and Asian Market light, they said.

All medians/cuts between Sheikh Sarai and Hauz Rani have been closed. The movement of heavy vehicles and DTC/Cluster buses is not allowed on this stretch of Press Enclave Road, police said.

Two ambulance vans, two fire tenders, two jail vans, two teams of bomb disposal squad, 28 door frame metal detectors, two teams of SWAT, three teams of Prakram vehicles, 33 MPVs, 30 motorcycle-patrolling teams, 43 foot-patrolling teams, 29 border pickets, 30 vehicle-checking parties at parking lots, seven plain-cloth spotters and five arrest parties have pressed into the action in New Delhi area.

According to the police, the buses headed towards Connaught Place have been diverted. Two doctors have also been deployed in the area to conduct medical examinations of people driving under the influence of alcohol.

In east Delhi, a total of 41 high-visibility pickets have been set up across key locations. Additional 19 pickets are dedicated to preventing drunken driving, the police said.

The key areas such as Preet Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Mayur Vihar and other vital zones have been given special attention, with enhanced patrolling on seven sensitive routes and roads, including Vikas Marg, NH-24 and Pushta Road, said DCP, East, Abhishek Dhania.

The DCP further said that 21 popular public spaces like restaurants, bars, clubs, malls and markets are being closely monitored to maintain law and order. A total of 32 motorcycles will be utilised for patrolling. (with PTI inputs)