Delhi: Police received 19.2 percent fewer calls on its helpline this Holi than last year

The total number of calls received by the Delhi police on its helpline on Holi this year was 19.2 per cent lesser than last year, according to official data.

The festival Holi is celebrated over a two-day period, and the first day is called 'Chhoti Holi'.

In 2022, the festival was celebrated on March 17 and 18, and a total of 11,614 PCR calls were received on two days, it said, adding that the festival was celebrated on March 28 and 29 last year and the total calls received on these two days were 14,371.

There was a significant decline of 32.8 per cent in the number of PCR calls related to quarrels or brawls, it showed.

A total of 4,928 calls were found related to quarrels this year in comparison to 7,331 calls in 2021, it said.

The percentage of calls of quarrel vis-a-vis total calls received has also shown a downtrend. In 2021, it was 51 per cent whereas in 2022, it was found to be only 42 per cent, the data stated.

The maximum number of 1,080 PCR calls were received from Dwarka district this year, whereas the maximum 562 calls related to quarrel were from Outer North district, the data showed.

The least number of PCR as well as quarrel related calls -- 143 and 38 calls -- were received from New Delhi district, it stated.

Last year, the maximum number of 1,304 PCR calls were received from Dwarka while 711 calls related to quarrels were received from the South district, it said.

Similarly, the least numbers of 131 PCR calls were received from New Delhi district which also got the 42 calls related to quarrels last year, it stated.

This year, Holi and Shab-e-Barat fell on the same.

In order to ensure that the festivals remains peaceful, the police had made elaborate security arrangements, and taken a host of measures, including maintaining optimal visibility of the force, intensive patrolling, integrated picket checking, presence of adequate number of traffic personnel to check violations/drunken driving, additional deployment of force in sensitive pockets, etc. officials added.