Authorities would employ the services of a helicopter and deploy mobile phone-wielding police squads on Wednesday to monitor the situation in Mumbai, where the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine has called a bandh to protest against the Democratic Front government's 'inept handling' of the law and order situation.

The two parties called for a bandh following Monday night's bomb blast in a BEST bus in Ghatkopar in northern Mumbai. The Samajwadi Party and various Muslim organisations are supporting the bandh call.

The government has made elaborate security arrangements deploying 40,000 police personnel all over Mumbai to ensure that the day passes off peacefully.

Armed policemen would accompany trains and buses while police teams on motorbikes would keep round-the-clock vigil to prevent untoward incidents, Joint Commissioner Police (Law and Order) Ahmad Javed said.

Several police squads, wielding mobile phones, would patrol the streets and strict vigil would be maintained in sensitive areas.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde reviewed the security situation on Tuesday at a high-level meeting

Immediately after the blast, security was stepped up in Nashik, where the Kumbh Mela is due to begin on Wednesday July 30.

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