Tight vigil for Indo-Africa Summit

NEW DELHI: With 48 hours for the India-Africa Forum summit to begin in New Delhi, the security agencies are busy finalizing the nitty-gritty of the extraordinary apparatus that has been put in place to secure central Delhi for the event. TOI has accessed the details of the security arrangements that will in place from October 26 for the four days of the conference.

The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the venue of the summit that will be attended by 54 heads of African states, the Indian Prime Minister, ministers and other high officials, will be under the hawk-eyed vigil of 24 video cameras and 22 still cameras. Pragati Maidan, which will host some events, is also under the same video umbrella. There will be185 spotters with newly-acquired binoculars positioned on highrises, including newspaper offices at Bahadurshah Zafar Marg. Two mine-sweepers will be at hand apart from 18 xray scanners at the stadium. A security personnel will be posted every 10 metres on the route to the venue.

Leave of all policemen has been cancelled for the four days of the summit, with the total number of security personnel, including those belonging to paramilitary forces, deployed for security duty expected to exceed 25,000. A special officer on duty is likely to be assigned to each visiting head of the state. The security plan has central Delhi divided into six zones, each headed by an officer of the rank of deputy commissioner of police. These officers will be assisted by at least 2 assistant commissioners of police and some inspectors in securing the periphery of the venue, the routes and in coordinating with the other agencies that will be guarding the inner areas.

The police of various African countries are bringing their own security and intelligence agents in advance of the summit's commencement and personnel from the NSG, CISF and CRPF will work closely with them for the private protection of the VVIPs.

The routes to be used by the visiting dignitaries will be visually secured by 500 cameras, with around 250 of them installed in central district areas. While 78 cameras will be deployed on sensitive stretches along the Indraprastha flyover, Vikas Marg, the Delhi Secretariat and Salimgarh flyover, important intersections and roads at Shanti Van, Raj Ghat, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Delhi Gate, Tilak Bridge and Bahadurshah Zafar Marg will be covered by 150 cameras, according to the plan.

Central Delhi could be declared a no-fly zone during the movement of the guests. An air-defence system will be in place on all days. The security will be extra tight on October 29 when all the heads of the state, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and high-ranking Indian and African officials will congregate at the stadium.