Delhi tightens security ahead of BRICS Summit; VVIP movements to affect traffic

Delhi has been placed under a massive security cover ahead of the two-day 18th BRICS Summit beginning Saturday, with around 30,000 security personnel and 700 CCTV cameras deployed, as well as more than 35 roads facing restrictions due to VVIP movements.

Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the summit, has been taken over by the Special Protection Group (SPG) and National Security Guard (NSG), with anti-aircraft guns, anti-drone systems and snipers deployed as part of the multi-layered security arrangement.

Around 15,000 Delhi Police personnel and 200 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed for the summit. There are around 700 CCTV cameras installed across Lutyens Delhi, particularly along the 35 routes through which the guests will be escorted to the venue and back to their hotels.

Around 100 Delhi Police K9 dogs are conducting anti-sabotage checks at Bharat Mandapam and hotels where foreign delegates are staying. Thirty sniffer dogs and their handlers have been deployed round-the-clock at the main venue.

The remaining dogs have been deployed at hotels and kept on standby to check markets and other strategic locations before the movement of foreign guests and their family members. The NSG, Army and other paramilitary forces have also provided dogs for security checks.

The dogs are being used to check venues and their surroundings, including hidden spaces, seats, staircases, gardens and parking areas, for suspicious objects. More than 35 roads could be affected, including Mathura Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Shanti Path, Janpath, Ashoka Road, Barakhamba Road, Tolstoy Marg, Africa Avenue Road, Niti Marg, Panchsheel Marg and APJ Abdul Kalam Road.

The impact is expected to be significant for commuters travelling between Noida and Central Delhi, East Delhi and Central areas, and from Dwarka and West Delhi towards Dhaula Kuan, the airport and South Delhi. Delhi and Central government offices will remain shut on Saturday.

Schools will also remain closed. The two hotels where Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are staying have been taken over by security officials from their respective countries. Meanwhile, major buildings, including the old and new Parliament buildings, structures around the Central Vista, ministry buildings and embassies of participating countries have been decorated and illuminated for the summit.

Markets, including Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Sarojini Nagar and Lajpat Nagar, have also been decorated and will remain open on Saturday and Sunday. Security agencies expect some dignitaries and their family members to visit them during their stay.

Two command rooms, at Bharat Mandapam and Tuglak Road, have been set up to oversee the operation and monitor the movement of cavalcades. The security alert on Saturday will remain in place until around 9 pm, when guests are expected to return to their hotels after the 7.30 pm gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.