Also See: G20 Summit in Delhi Live
Besides bullets, these storehouses will have loaded magazines, medical supplies, stun and smoke grenades, wireless set chargers, even backup weapons for the troops.
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Delhi-NCR’s plushest hotels are ready to greet and pamper some very special guests – heads of states, heads of governments and chiefs of big multilateral institutions arriving for the G20 summit. Many other countries and multilateral bodies are sharing hotels as well. Le Meridien will look after
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the airport operator, has advised travellers to opt for the Metro if they have to board a flight due to traffic restrictions in the city. DIAL’s CEO, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, said dedicated gates and corridors have been created for G20 delegates so that they
It is not just the government departments that have been frantically preparing the city for an influx of international VIPs for the G20 Summit. Away from the glare of the public, hotels have also been customising their menus, providing not only a taste of India but also flavours familiar to the
Delhi metro train services will start from 4am from terminal stations of all lines for three days, from September 8 to 10, for the upcoming G20 summit.
Shortage of bullets and faulty ammunition were major issues during the 26/11 anti-terrorist operation. “Many of the suggestions given by veterans in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 have been incorporated to secure the G20 summit. Most of the measures relate to avoiding surprises in case of any contingency,” an intelligence officer said.
The idea of setting up such armouries was mooted during a security preparedness meeting in Lutyens’ Delhi a few months ago. “It was decided that a proper supply chain would be maintained as backup for the commandos. If at all an attack took place, the supply team will follow the main team with the required materials. They will not have to run back for supplies. This will ensure that the op is completed without glitch or hindrance,” another intelligence officer explained.
Besides the armoury, the security agencies have installed anti-drone mechanisms on the rooftop of all hotels to bring down any unmanned aerial vehicles, aka drones, flying in the vicinity of the facilities. Pragati Maidan is likely to be declared a no-fly zone during the summit meetings.
There are at least 16 city hotels that will host the visiting dignitaries, including heads of states. From using advanced intrusion alert systems and posture detection mechanisms to deploying deputy commissioner-rank police officers as “venue commanders”, the security establishment has put in place an elaborate security apparatus to prevent any untoward incident during the international conference. The venue commanders will liaison with the foreign security team members in coordination with the Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing officers.
The verification of hotel staff has been done over multiple rounds. There will be a separate set of staffers for each floor of the hotel and their movement will be restricted to that floor at all times. This is being done to ensure that the security personnel only have to deal with “visibly identified” staffers. “The workers of one floor will not have access to any other floor. They will use specially programmed key cards during the summit time for entry and exit,” an officer said.
The cops and security personnel will have around three rooms in the hotel for themselves. Two of the rooms will be converted into security control rooms under the control of the venue commander.