G20 Summit: Security checks intensified across Delhi, 50,000 personnel deployed

Security measures were significantly ramped up in the national capital on Saturday morning in anticipation of a two-day gathering of global leaders scheduled to commence later in the day.

A comprehensive security perimeter has been established around the Pragati Maidan area in central Delhi, the epicenter of the summit. Simultaneously, vehicle inspections in New Delhi and adjacent areas have been intensified.

To ensure a vigilant watch over security arrangements at the venue and across New Delhi, dog squads and mounted morchas equipped with binoculars have been deployed.

Police have erected heavy barricades in New Delhi district, where all vehicles and individuals entering are subject to rigorous checks.

Designated as Controlled Zone-I from 5 am Friday to 11.59 pm Sunday due to the summit, New Delhi district has seen stringent security measures in place.

In response to these precautions, the public has been advised against visiting India Gate and Kartavya Path for leisure activities. Traffic in the area is being closely regulated, with exceptions for ambulances.

Over 50,000 personnel, including dog squads and mounted police, have been mobilised for the summit.

At New Delhi’s metro stations, commuters’ identification documents are being verified at exit points.

Except for medicines, online delivery services have been suspended in the New Delhi area. Housekeeping, catering, and waste management services for hotels and hospitals are allowed, subject to verification.

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena will maintain constant communication with the city police commissioner and monitor security for the mega-event, according to Raj Niwas officials.

A control room with senior police officers is overseeing live visuals from approximately 5,000 CCTV cameras scattered throughout the city on a round-the-clock basis.

Throughout Delhi, essential services such as postal and medical services, as well as sample collections by pathological labs, remain operational.

Metro services began running at 4 am from terminal stations on all lines, with the exception of the Supreme Court station, which barred boarding and deboarding from 5 am on Saturday until 11 pm on Sunday.

Parking facilities at the Supreme Court, Patel Chowk, and RK Ashram Marg metro stations will remain closed from 4 am on September 8 to noon on September 11.

To minimise disruptions, police have encouraged the public to utilize metro services extensively, as the movement of buses, auto-rickshaws, taxis, and goods vehicles is restricted.

For navigation and real-time traffic updates, people are advised to use the ‘Mapmyindia’ navigation app and the ‘G20 Virtual Help Desk.’

The entirety of the area enclosed by the Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg) is now a “regulated zone”, permitting access only to residents, authorised vehicles, emergency vehicles, and travelers heading to the airport, Old Delhi, and New Delhi Railway Stations.

Approximately 16 roads and junctions, including W-Point, A-Point, DDU Marg, Vikas Marg (up to Noida Link Road-Pusta Road), Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, and Delhi Gate, among others, have been designated as “Controlled Zone II” until 2 pm on Sunday.

People are urged to avoid traveling within these “regulated” and “controlled zones” whenever possible, with alternative routes provided for unavoidable travel.

Effective from midnight on September 8 until 11.59 pm on September 10, a range of vehicles, including goods vehicles, commercial vehicles, interstate buses, and buses from the Delhi Transport Corporation and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System, will not be permitted on Mathura Road (beyond Ashram Chowk), Bhairon Road, Purana Quila Road, and inside the Pragati Maidan Tunnel.

Interstate buses from Ghazipur border will conclude their journey at ISBT Sarai Kale Khan, while those arriving via the Apsara border, Chilla border, Badarpur border, Tikei border, and Singhu border will terminate at ISBT Kashmere Gate, ISBT Sarai Kale Khan, Ashram Chowk, Peeragarhi Chowk, and Mukarba Chowk, respectively.

The two-day G20 Summit, commencing on Saturday, will witness the participation of more than 30 heads of state, top European Union officials, invited guest countries, and 14 leaders of international organisations. (With inputs from PTI)