8 Lakh Faces Scanned: How AI Made This Year’s Ganesh Festival Safer in Pune

Pune, 9th September 2025: This year’s Ganesh Visarjan in Pune witnessed a new layer of security as the city police turned to artificial intelligence-enabled CCTV systems and real-time analytics to monitor massive crowds and identify potential threats. The technology-driven initiative helped avert untoward incidents, earning appreciation from both citizens and officials.

Thousands thronged the immersion routes on Saturday, but key procession areas remained under the watch of AI-powered facial recognition tools, drones, and CCTV cameras linked to the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Shivajinagar. A parallel “war room” at Faraskhana police station coordinated responses with ground units.

250 Flagged, Thousands of Alerts
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (IT) Vivek Pawar, the system relied on dual-level accuracy checks while scanning faces in real-time. “At the higher accuracy bracket of 85 percent, around 250 individuals were flagged and verified by the Crime Branch,” he said.

“Over 2,000 additional alerts were generated under the 80 percent threshold, which are still under review.”

Apart from identifying individuals with prior criminal records, the AI network also detected 50 suspicious or unattended bags and issued 250 alerts regarding women in vulnerable or isolated situations. Crowd estimation algorithms generated nearly 8 lakh identification signals on Visarjan day alone, helping the police manage high-density stretches more efficiently.

Citizens’ Safety First
Police officials said that the effort was concentrated in congested pockets where mischief-makers traditionally attempt to create disturbances. “This initiative is not just about technology—it’s about prevention. By using these tools, we can act before a situation escalates,” ACP Pawar explained. He added that the system would soon be scaled to other areas of the city, focusing on crime-prone zones.

Integrated Command Approach
The real-time feeds were compared against a centralized criminal database maintained by the IT department. Officials confirmed that the data collected during the festival is now being analyzed for a detailed report on how AI surveillance can be permanently integrated into city policing.

Senior Crime Branch officers noted that the collaboration between on-ground units and the IT wing was crucial. “This was one of the smoothest Visarjan operations in recent memory. Technology gave us the upper hand in both crowd management and crime prevention,” one official said.

A Model for Urban Policing
Pune Police plan to gradually expand the use of AI-backed surveillance citywide. “The larger vision is to reduce crime hotspots through predictive policing,” ACP Pawar remarked. “When residents see that the police are equipped to act swiftly, it strengthens public trust.”

The initiative has been hailed as a benchmark in smart policing—one that blends tradition with technology to keep massive cultural events safe for all.