UP rings in New Year'€™s Eve amid tight security

Lucknow, Dec 31 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh ushered in New Year's Eve on Wednesday amid a mix of celebrations, devotion and heightened security as cities and towns, including Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Noida, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Meerut, remained on high alert.

Public squares, river-fronts, religious shrines, shopping hubs and transport nodes across the state witnessed heavy footfall through the day, prompting police and civic authorities to put in place elaborate security arrangements to ensure that celebrations remained peaceful and incident-free. From traffic checks in smaller districts to layered security grids in major urban centres, the emphasis remained on prevention, visibility and crowd management.

Railway stations were placed under close surveillance. Superintendent of Police, GRP, Rohit Mishra told PTI Videos that intensive checking was underway at Lucknow and Ayodhya railway stations and adjoining areas. Bomb disposal squads, sniffer dog units and anti-sabotage teams were deployed, and passengers were urged to immediately report any suspicious activity.

Varanasi wore a distinctly spiritual hue as a special Ganga Aarti was performed at the iconic Dashashwamedh Ghat on New Year's Eve. Using 1,001 lamps, "Swagatam 2026" was illuminated, drawing large crowds of devotees and tourists. Sushant Mishra, president of Ganga Seva Nidhi, said the turnout reflected the city's unique blend of devotion and festivity.

The city also witnessed a steady stream of pilgrims at the Kashi Vishwanath temple ahead of January 1. Chief Executive Officer Vishwabhushan Mishra said nearly 20 lakh devotees had visited the shrine over the past week, with around five lakh expected on the first day of the New Year. Multiple barricades and entry through five designated gates were put in place to manage crowds.

In the state capital Lucknow, biting cold failed to dampen the festive mood as people thronged Hazratganj, Rumi Darwaza, Hussainabad, Janeshwar Mishra Park and popular malls such as Lulu Mall and Phoenix Palassio.

Joint Commissioner Bablu Kumar said security arrangements were stepped up in view of the special occasion. Kumar added that police personnel and senior officers had been instructed to be on the ground on both Wednesday and Thursday.

DCP (Lucknow East) Shashank Singh said police deployment was stepped up around major crowd hubs, including the Summit Building area, with barricading, inspections and breath analyser tests conducted through the evening. PTI COR/KIS MNK MNK