Tight New Year's Eve security in Mumbai

Thousands of police officers and men will be deployed across Mumbai on New Year's Eve to prevent anti-social elements from harassing women and to nab motorists driving under the influence of alcohol.

The police have already stepped up their campaign against drunken driving in the last week of the year by taking action against the guilty. Hundreds have been arrested in recent days for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Police patrols can be seen at several major junctions across the metropolis, conducting nakabandis - road blocks - and carrying out random tests on motorists, especially after midnight.

New Year's Eve celebrations in Mumbai have in recent years turned nasty, with hooligans molesting women, even in the presence of policemen. Thousands of revelers gather at public places including the Gateway of India and the numerous beaches to herald the New Year. However, unruly elements try to take advantage of the large turnout, attacking women. Recent years have seen several such instances at the Gateway of India and Juhu and other beaches.

Similarly, there have been a spate of accidents in recent years caused by drunk drivers. The Mumbai police launched a campaign against motorists driving under the influence of liquor about four years ago.

The campaign has been effective and nearly 75,000 drivers have been booked for the offence since 2007. Vivek Phansalkar, joint commissioner of police (traffic), claims that the campaign has been effective in curbing drunk driving.

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