Over 4,700 Police Deployed in Kathmandu for Security during the Festive Season

The District Police Range Kathmandu has mobilized more than 4,700 personnel to ensure public safety during the upcoming Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath festivals.

According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Apil Raj Bohara, the spokesperson for the District Police Range Kathmandu, the security plan is under the command of the chief of the police range and follows four specific strategies to maintain order and prevent untoward incidents.

“A total of 4,738 personnel will be on duty during Dashain,” Bohara told the state-run national news agency RSS. “Of them, 364 officers will be deployed on duty at 91 locations across the Valley.”

Police have also set up citizen assistance centers at 14 locations, with three—at Balkhu, Kalanki, and the New Bus Park—already operational and staffed with 72 officers. The Valley has been divided into 14 security sectors for effective coordination.

Special security arrangements, including plainclothes patrols, will cover temples, ticket counters, livestock markets, shopping centers, malls, and jewelry shops.

Because incidents of theft, pickpocketing, robbery, and assaults tend to rise during the festive season, additional plainclothes personnel, quick response teams, mobile units, and motorcycle squads will be deployed.

The plan also includes measures to protect unattended homes. Police have urged residents who plan to leave for an extended period to either inform trusted neighbors or notify their nearest police station.

This year’s Dashain begins on September 22 with the Ghatasthapana ritual. However, public holidays will begin from September 29 on the day of Fulpati when the valley sees a mass exodus of people traveling to their hometowns and villages to celebrate the festival. – With inputs from RSS