Cops get more CCTVs for US president Barack Obama's security

NEW DELHI: With a little over 45 days left for Republic Day celebrations, Delhi Police is finalizing the last-minute details of an elaborate plan to secure central Delhi on January 26. The plan has been drawn out by US officials and Indian security and intelligence agencies in the wake of US president Barack Obama's visit.

With agencies like CIA, RAW and IB handling the major chunk of the security apparatus, the foremost task in Delhi Police's kitty is to keep a hawk-eyed vigil on the area with CCTV cameras. Sources have told TOI that 289 additional cameras will secure central Delhi from January 17 to 27.

They added that the process of procuring these cameras, to be installed at 102 strategic locations, began this week.

There was a proposal to use drone cameras, but US officials apparently turned it down as they suspect that the aerial machine's command can be taken over and misused, a source said.

The cameras will be installed in New Delhi district (in and around Rajpath), central and North district (Red Fort), security unit (Rajpath) and north-west district (Chhatrasal Stadium). A source said these cameras will become operational by January 14 and a dry-run will be conducted to ascertain that there are no last-minute glitches.

It has been proposed that the central district will have 40 CCTV cameras in different areas: six at Daryaganj, five at Jama Masjid, 19 at IP Estate covering Delhi Gate, ITO and adjoining areas. The north district, which includes areas like Chandni Chowk and Sunehri Masjid, will have 54 fixed and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras.

The northwest district, including Chhatrasal Stadium and adjoining roads towards Gunjranwala township, will have 26 cameras. The New Delhi district, with areas like Vijay Chowk and adjoining roads, Nirman Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, five-star hotels and other highrises, will be scanned by 102 cameras.

Apart from these, 65 CCTV cameras will be under the supervision of the security unit which will be monitoring movements on Dalhousie Road and at Rajpath covering the entry-exit enclosures, saluting dais, and water channels.

These cameras will have 36x optical zoom ability to zero down upon any target. Police will also procure two additional high-definition licence plate recognition cameras to be installed at strategic locations to keep track on vehicles entering and exiting central Delhi.

The source said there will be separate control rooms in each district, which will be connected to the nearest police station or police post with cyber highway nodes. The overall connectivity will be ensured with the C4i control room at police headquarters through optical fibres. In addition, a separate control room will be set up at the office of the DCPs.