New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) Over 1,000 NSG snipers along with 44,000 security personnel from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces will be guarding the national capital on Republic Day to ensure a safe visit of US President Barack Obama.
The National Security Guard snipers will maintain a hawk-eye vigil from high-rise buildings within a two-km radius of Rajpath, from where the US president along with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be watching the Republic Day parade.
Police said the remaining 44,000 security personnel -- around 10,000 from the paramilitary forces and 30,000 from Delhi Police -- will be deployed on the streets of the capital starting 5 a.m. Jan 26.
Sources said the central, north and New Delhi districts will be manned by over 20,000 security personnel.
Around 20,000 personnel will be deployed at specific locations from Jan 25, the day Obama arrives in Delhi and the number will almost double Jan 26, Delhi Police said.
Around 15,000 newly-installed CCTV cameras will be used to keep watch in areas where Obama's cavalcade will move as also some other roads and markets.
Rajpath, the three-km stretch which is the main venue of the Republic Day parade, has nearly 160 CCTV cameras. One camera has been installed every 18 metres.
A Delhi Police official, who did not want to be named, said camera footage may be shared with the US Secret Service.
Officials said that as part of heightened security arrangements, the no-fly zone for civilian aircraft will extend to a 500-km radius of Delhi Jan 26 and will cover cities such as Agra and Jaipur, and even areas along the border with Pakistan.
The radius of the no-fly zone for earlier Republic Day functions used to be 300 km, they said.
A seven-layer security ring will guard the enclosure that would be used by Obama, Mukherjee and Modi.
The enclosure will be bullet-proof as the US president will be in an open air setting for over one-and-a-half hours, something unprecedented in his visit to a foreign country, officials said.
Before Obama's plane lands Jan 25 at the Delhi airport, the area will be taken over by Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel and US Secret Service agents.
India Gate and Rajpath have already been shut for people and the area is under constant guard by security personnel.
The airspace over the capital will be monitored by special radars, they added.
Security arrangements at ITC Maurya, where Obama will be staying during his three-day visit, are being monitored on a daily basis.
Delhi Metro Friday said services would be partially curtailed Jan 26 as part of security arrangements for Republic Day. It said all Delhi Metro parking lots will remain closed from 6 a.m. Jan 25 until 2 p.m. Jan 26.
Entry and exit at the Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan Metro stations will remain closed from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m Jan 26, while the entry and exit at Patel Chowk and Race Course stations will be closed from 8.45 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Mandi House and Pragati Maidan stations will also be closed for people for one hour between 10.45 a.m. and 11.45 a.m., a Delhi Metro official said.
We were ready for a debate on the issue of inflation, Modi government said on the suspension of 19 MPs
A total of 19 members, including seven Trinamool Congress members, were on Tuesday suspended from the House for the remaining period of this week for disrupting the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha.
BJP leader said - Sita's life is like a divorcee: Education Minister in MP said - Earth split and mother merged, it's like suicide
Madhya Pradesh's Higher Education Minister Mohan Yadav compared the life of Mother Sita to the life of a divorcee. Mohan Yadav was speaking at the Karsevak Samman function at Nagda in Ujjain on
SC chides Agra forest department over wrong affidavits
New Delhi/Agra, March 10 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday slammed Agra's district forest department for filing affidavits with false information about the number of trees planted in the
Exclusive: Now you will get accurate information about enemy movement, video recording will also be possible, Army got this special device
Exclusive: Amidst the ongoing dispute with China on the LAC, the helicopters of the Indian Army have found a special device that can move troops from enemy bunkers and artillery locations during
Effect of Russia-Ukraine war: United Nations cuts India's growth rate by 2.1 percent, inflation will increase rapidly in India
Because of the impact of the Russo-Ukraine war, the United Nations has reduced India's growth forecast by two percent to 4.6 percent for 2021-22. Earlier, the growth rate was estimated to be 6.7
India-Pakistan: 'Stay out of our internal matter', India slams OIC Secretary General's visit to PoK
India has strongly objected to the visit of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Hisen Brahim Taha to Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POK). The Ministry of External Affairs
The woman started opening the flight gate at 37000 feet: When stopped, she started banging her head and said- Jesus had asked to do this
In America, a woman tried to open the flight door at an altitude of 37 thousand feet. Due to this act, the emergency landing of the flight had to be done, after which the police arrested the woman.
Supreme court orders to give ration to migrant laborers of Delhi-NCR, other states will also be heard
New Delhi: The Supreme Court heard today on the migrant laborers facing an economic crisis in lockdown. The court today first considered the situation of the laborers living in Delhi and its nearby
NHRC notice to Maharashtra over attack on social activist
New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) The NHRC has issued notice to the Maharashtra government after a social activist and his wife were shot at by some unidentified attackers in Kolhapur Feb 16, a statement
72 new patients found in 4 hours, 2099 corona positive so far in the state, 1699 migrants among total infected
Ranchi / Dhanbad / Jamshedpur. 72 new corona patients have been found in the state in 24 hours. After the arrival of new patients, the number of infected patients in the state has reached 2099. The