Though the Haridwar city is not that big, spread across an area of 12.3 square kilometres, still there are many locations which are deserted during the evening and where this is no movement of the police. These deserted places provide ample scope for undesirable activities.

The city of Haridwar is generally bustling with pilgrims and other visitors apart from the local residents. However, there are also some areas which are crowded during the daytime but become deserted during the evening.  The SIIDCUL industrial area and other such locations are crowded during the daytime but become deserted once the evening sets in. Parallel to the highway in Haridwar, there is a route along the Ganga river which is popular with walkers during the morning and evening. However, this route becomes deserted during the late evenings and provides ample scope for criminal elements to carry out their activities.

When asked about this, the Haridwar senior superintendent of police Senthil Avoodai Krishnaraj S said that people tend to remain indoors during the winter evenings which may be one of the reasons for the heightened silence in some places after sunset.

 However, the SSP said that he had ordered all the circle officers to deploy sub-inspectors in the police patrol vehicles. In addition to this, up to a dozen deputy superintendents of police will also remain in the field. The SSP also directed checks and patrols especially in areas which become deserted so that criminals do not take advantage of such locations.

It is pertinent to mention here that considering the substantial floating population which stays or passes through Haridwar, the police have to be more alert to ensure that neither the visitors face crimes nor do the locals suffer from the actions of visiting criminals.