Sri Lankan capital to be under tight security for CHOGM

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police will deploy 20,000 police personnel to provide security for next week's Commonwealth summit here that will witness participation of the heads of government of over 50 countries.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a forum for the 54 strong former British colonies is the biggest international event since Colombo hosted the 76-member Non Aligned Summit in 1976.

"There will be 20,000 strong police providing security, 5,000 of them will be traffic policemen", senior superintendent Ajith Rohana said.

The troops would also be deployed to provide security if needed, authorities said.

Senior deputy inspector general, Anura Senanayake said that the city will remain open for traffic as normal and no roads will remain shut during the summit.

However, some of the roads leading to the CHOGM venues and the routes that participating leaders would take might experience intermittent closures as appropriate.

Education authorities today announced that some 39 schools in the city would be shut from tomorrow in view of the summit.

The move is expected to ease traffic management plans, police said.

The city has undergone a major facelift with newly carpeted roads and spruced up environs.