The national capital will witness intensified vigil at all motorable Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh borders, as part of the elaborate security arrangements to ensure peaceful Holi celebrations, an official said on Tuesday.
More than 15,000 police personnel will be deployed across the city, he said.
The deployment comes alongside a pre-Holi crackdown under ‘Operation Aaghat’, during which the southern range of Delhi Police arrested 204 people and apprehended 973 others under preventive provisions, according to the official.
Special focus this year will remain on drunken driving, rash driving and motorcycle stunts, with multiple pickets to be set up at major intersections, sensitive locations, markets and residential colonies.
“Intensive checking will be conducted at all motorable borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Strategic barricading and naka picketing have been planned, and high-visibility policing will be maintained throughout the festival period,” a senior police officer said.
Traffic police teams equipped with breath analysers and speed detection devices will conduct day-long drives to identify and prosecute violators. Data shared by police show a steady rise in drunken driving cases over the past three years on the day of the festival — 559 in 2023, 824 in 2024 and 1,213 in 2025.
Action will also be taken against triple riding, over-speeding and performing wheelies or other stunts on two-wheelers, officials said. Cases of riding without helmets on Holi stood at 3,410 in 2023, 1,524 in 2024 and 2,376 in 2025.
Under Operation Aaghat, launched across South and Southeast districts, police carried out an intelligence-based synchronised crackdown on habitual offenders, bootleggers, drug peddlers, property offenders and other ‘bad characters’, they said.
Of the 204 arrests made under various provisions of the BNS, Arms Act, NDPS Act, Delhi Excise Act and Public Gambling Act, four proclaimed offenders and 29 bad characters were held, police said.
In southeast Delhi alone, 137 accused were arrested and 449 persons apprehended under preventive sections. One proclaimed offender was nabbed, 63 challans were issued under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, Rs 11,500 were collected as fine and 273 vehicles were deposited under the Delhi Police Act.
In the South district, 67 people were arrested and 524 apprehended preventively. Police also arrested three proclaimed offenders and 29 habitual offenders during the drive.
Recoveries during the operation included 12 illegal firearms, 14 live cartridges, 24 knives, 7.197 kg of cannabis, 12.7 grams of MDMA and 15,945 quarters of illicit liquor. Police also seized Rs 84,740 in gambling cases and recovered 18 stolen or lost mobile phones. One auto-lifter was arrested and nine stolen motorcycles were recovered.
More than 350 personnel participated in the synchronised action across sensitive pockets, officials said, adding that women police personnel are also being deployed at key locations.
Police have appealed to citizens to celebrate Holi responsibly, avoid forceful colouring and refrain from creating nuisance in public places. “We urge everyone to cooperate and help maintain peace and harmony during the festival,” an officer said.
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