India-Africa Summit: Two choppers deployed for aerial survey

NEW DELHI: Two helicopters will be deployed round-the-clock as part of security arrangement during the four-day India-Africa Forum Summit starting tomorrow, which will be attended by the heads of 54 African states.

While one chopper will be dedicated to surveillance, the other will be for handling contingencies. The helicopters will be provided by Indian Air Force, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Security) T S Luthra.

However, no helicams or unmanned aerial devices shall be used for surveillance during the period.

A separate control room has been set up to monitor central venue, Indira Gandhi Stadium, and the VVIP routes, Luthra said.

Around 200 CCTV cameras have been installed at the venue and 300 more in central Delhi areas including ITO, Delhi Secretariat, Raj Ghat and all areas in the vicinity of Indira Gandhi Stadium, the main venue for the summit, he said.

"Aerial survey, roof-top marking, positioning of snipers in high-rises, setting up of multiple pickets on certain stretches and sanitising the potential VVIP routes shall form part of the security arrangement," the officer said.

Almost one-fourth of the force has been deployed to secure the four-day summit that kicks off tomorrow and is to be attended by the heads of 54 African states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the meet.

Apart from more than half the police forces of Central and New Delhi districts, sleuths from the Crime Branch and Special Cells have also been roped in to bolster the arrangements, said the official, adding that three DCP rank officials of Crime Branch are themselves supervising the separate units.

The whole team of Police Control Room is coordinating the arrangements, as are the personnel from the battalions reserved for specific purposes.

Apart from them, the whole team of Police Control Room is coordinating the arrangements, as are the personnel from the battalions reserved for specific purposes, added the officer.