Massive security arrangements put in place for Kolkata Derby as tickets are about to sell out

EXTENSIVE SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS have been set up around the Salt Lake Stadium to avoid mishaps of any kind during tomorrow's Kolkata Derby.

As part of the plan to control traffic and matchday crowd, the number of tickets being sold was reduced to 63,000 by the Kolkata Police. The police also decided to keep at least 2 blocks in the middle and upper tiers as well as much of the lower tier strategically empty or less populated to ensure there is an elaborate division and barrier between the fans of the rival clubs during the match.

The fans have been assigned separate seating arrangements as always. Mohun Bagan, as the hosts, will accomodate their fans on the left hand side of the stadium. East Bengal supporters will fill up the right hand side.

The sale of tickets have been promising so far, with the lines in front of the counter at Mohun Bagan tent significantly longer than the one at the East Bengal tent. But it appears that the tickets to the middle tier - the best place in the stadium to view the match from - have been completely sold out. The remaining tickets are mostly of the upper tier.

The police have arranged a 3-level security detail around the stadium. They have also brought in RAF, commandos and sniffer dogs. Looking at the growing numbers of women who attend the matches, there will be a squad of women police officers at hand. All the gates in the stadium will have metal detectors.

Special care will be taken to ensure banned objects like water bottles, fireworks and smoke bombs cannot be sneaked into the stadium. Use of loud fire-crackers during the match has been a problem in Kolkata for some years now and both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have been fined by AIFF and AFC for this a number of times.