Panaji : The state is on its toes to welcome New Year 2026 with Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar on Tuesday saying that strong security arrangements have been made for trouble-free festivities held to usher in the New Year in the world-famous tourist destination.
Apart from the district police, police personnel from the specialised units such as the anti-terrorism squad (ATS), the bomb squad, and the dog squad have been deployed.
There will be 100 nakabandi points which will be manned by the local police in both districts.
“Like every year, there is a strong (security) arrangement. There are additional 700 police personnel from the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) who have joined the force after completing training. So, this time we have extra force which has been deployed in North Goa and South Goa,” Kumar said while responding to media queries in Porvorim on New Year security arrangements.
“Apart from this, the tourist police and the coastal security police have been deployed. ATS teams will be conducting patrolling round the clock. The bomb disposal squad and the dog squad have also been deployed,” the DGP said. Anticipating increased tourist arrivals for ringing in the New Year, Drishti Marine has bolstered its life-saving efforts along the coast including the implementation of shifts till 1 am for comprehensive beach safety support.
There is a rise in tourist footfall in Goa. There are a lot of tourists along coastal areas as well in cities and other places. Everything is going very smoothly, the DGP said.
“The overall visibility has been strengthened. The police control room has also been instructed to keep an eye on every incident. The flow of information should be quick and the police response should be fast so that no tourist or citizen has any problem,” Kumar said.
The top police official also said the traffic management has been given special attention, adding that the traffic police have also been given extra manpower to regulate the traffic during the day and late night.
“We hope that with the support of citizens and tourists, everyone will be able to celebrate the New Year in a safe manner,” the DGP said.
Responding to a question on nakabandi points which might affect the smooth flow of traffic leading to chaos, Kumar said, “There is no intention to trouble anyone. But the police presence will deter any hooliganism, drunken driving.”
