New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) India's national capital will turn into a virtual fortress ahead of US President Barack Obama's arrival here Sunday, with over 45,000 security personnel guarding roads and 15,000 CCTV cameras keeping a hawk's eye on various areas.
Around 20,000 personnel will be deployed on specific locations from Jan 25, the day Obama arrives in Delhi and the number will almost double the next day, Delhi Police said.
Police said over 45,000 security personnel will be deployed on the streets of the national capital Jan 26 for the Republic Day celebrations. Obama's will be the chief guest at this year's Republic Day parade.
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 was installed in 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 as part of heightened security arrangements, the no-fly zone for civilian aircraft will extend to 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 no-fly zone on for earlier Republic Day functions used to be 300 km, they added.
A seven-layer security ring will guard the enclosure that would be used by Obama, President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to watch the parade.
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 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.
Sources said the central, north and New Delhi districts will be manned by over 20,000 security personnel, including men from the SPG. The airspace over the capital will be monitored by special radar, they added.
Most of the buildings within a two-km radius of Rajpath will have snipers on the roofs during the parade.
Security arrangements at ITC Maurya, where Obama will be staying during his three-day visit, are being monitored on daily basis.
Delhi Metro Friday said services would be partially curtailed Jan 26 as part of security arrangements for Republic Day. It said all Metro parking lots in Delhi 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 metro 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.
Parsi New Year 2022: Today is Parsi New Year 'Navroz', know its tradition, history and importance
Parsi New Year 2022: Today the Parsi community is celebrating Navroz i.e. New Year. Navroz is also called Parsi New Year. For the people of the Parsi community, the festival of Navroz is considered a
Interest Rates: Interest rates may increase on small savings schemes, no change for two years
Interest rates on small savings schemes (SSC) may increase by 0.5 to 0.75 percent from next month. The government will decide on this by the end of this month. With this, more investors can come into
'I will make you a ghost in two minutes', BJP leader Tajinder Pal Bagga got an open threat in Bigg Boss 18, chaos avoided
Salman Khan's reality show 'Bigg Boss 18' is once again ready to entertain the audience. The show has started with a bang. Salman Khan welcomed all the contestants with swag. At the same time, not
Know on the shortage of coal - what do the government and its figures say, the state is crying about the shortage of coal
Even after denying the possibility of a shortage of coal and power crisis in the country, many states are constantly talking about the shortfall in coal supply and deepening power crisis. The
Uttarakhand disaster: Nearly 50 people out of 153 missing from NTPC site still stuck in two and a half km long tunnel, there were 191 workers here at the time of the accident
In Chamoli, Uttarakhand, the focus is on Rescue Mission on Monday for the second day after the incident on Sunday. On Sunday, the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers were in spate after the glacier
Android 11 will be available for these devices with new privacy features, know
New Delhi, Tech Desk. Google's new operating system Android 11 has been officially announced. The official beta program of this new operating system has been launched by the company. To access this
Canister launch of Nuke-capable Agni-V Missile Successful
Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 (IANS) India Saturday successfully conducted the first canister-based trial of its most powerful and nuclear capable missile, the Agni-V, from a military base in Odisha,
Run-outs cost us dearly: De Villiers
Melbourne, Feb 22 (IANS) South Africa captain AB de Villiers rued the run-outs that cost them dearly as they slumped to a 130-run defeat to India in their World Cup Pool B encounter at the
Delhi Police launch Himmat WhatsApp, Hike for women's safety
New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Enthused by the popularity of its 'Himmat' mobile app for women's safety, the Delhi Police Wednesday launched the facility on WhatsApp and the Hike messenger group.Women
New York: Teen arrested for hate crime, besides elderly Sikh tourist, two other Sikhs were attacked
A 19-year-old teenager has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the attack on three Sikh men in Queens in New York, US. He has been charged with a hate crime. One of these attacks happened
