Pune Police Deploy AI, GPS, and Anti-Drone Systems for Wari Security
Pune police have implemented a comprehensive technology-driven security plan for the annual Ashadhi Wari procession, which will see lakhs of warkaris (devotees) accompanying the palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram Maharaj through the city starting this week. The plan includes AI-enabled facial recognition, GPS trackers on the palkhis, anti-drone systems, an Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), and a deployment of over 7,500 personnel and officers.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, “Pune City police are fully prepared when warkaris will in large numbers come to the city along with the Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi procession. Elaborate plans of security deployment aided by state-of-the-art technological tools have been put in place for days when the warkaris and palkhis will arrive in the city and depart from here.”
Addressing concerns about the flood situation in Alandi and the appeal by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for warkaris to come to Pune instead of Alandi, Kumar said that while the police earlier anticipated the footfall to start on July 9, warkaris are expected to begin arriving from the evening of July 7. Those heading to Alandi will be redirected to Pune, and adequate traffic management teams have already been deployed.
The security network relies heavily on real-time GPS tracking. Twelve GPS devices have been installed on the palkhi processions—at the head and tail and on the raths—enabling police to monitor movement, route progress, estimated arrival times and crowd spread. A total of 226 CCTV cameras have been placed along the two palkhi routes, with live feeds integrated into the ICCC for round-the-clock monitoring. Additionally, CCTV cameras mounted on the palkhi raths will relay live visuals to the command centre.
Twenty-eight facial recognition cameras have been deployed to help trace missing persons, children and senior citizens, and to identify wanted criminals through AI-based database matching. AI-powered video analytics will monitor crowd density, generate alerts when safety thresholds are breached, and detect unattended objects, violence, weapons, smoke, fire, tree falls and other hazards. Eight cameras with people-counting technology will track warkaris entering and leaving the Pune commissionerat limits, while AI-enabled traffic cameras will monitor congestion, illegal parking and heavy vehicle movement.
Drone surveillance will provide aerial monitoring of the palkhi route, including crowd movement, people counting, traffic congestion and illegal parking, to assist police in real-time decision-making. Five mobile surveillance vehicles and 19 mini surveillance vehicles, equipped with cameras, video analytics, recording systems, communication equipment and public address systems, will be stationed at strategic locations and function as mobile control rooms.
