With the Independence Day round the corner, security in Delhi has been beefed up with over 10,000 police officers and 3,000 traffic personnel deployed across the city, an officer said.
He also mentioned that an advanced technology has been integrated into the arrangements to detect explosives and suspicious objects.
The preparations are underway to ensure a safe and secure celebration of the 79th Independence Day on August 15 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Speaking about the security arrangements, Dinesh Kumar Gupta, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said, “For 10 nights, restrictions have been imposed on our borders. We do not allow any commercial vehicles to enter Delhi. These restrictions will remain in place until the arrangements at Red Fort are over. We have restrictions on the ring road that goes towards Raj Ghat because there is movement of VIPs there.”
Meanwhile, Yashwant Singh, Inspector RPF, in charge of New Delhi Railway Station, in his statement, said, “We are on high alert because of Independence Day. Security personnel are deployed at all entry-exit gates, and luggage is being thoroughly scanned. Additional security personnel have been deployed on platforms and in other places. We are also taking the help of dog squads. We also conducted a flag march to create a sense of security among people.”
S B K Singh, Commissioner of Police, chaired a meeting that was attended by the senior officers from Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh, accompanied by the senior officers of Central Intelligence/Enforcement Agencies.
A senior officer further added that the cameras can detect abandoned baggage and intrusive activities. Different zones will have customised alarm settings based on priority and sensitivity.
The officer continued by saying the Facial Recognition System (FRS) capabilities will allow for real-time and recorded video face matching, alerting the control room if any matches are found in the ‘Watch List’ database.
Detailing additional security measures, it was disclosed that Number Plate Recognition (NPR) systems would be deployed this year, providing real-time 24×7 vehicle detection and recording. Delhi police plan to deploy over 700 CCTVs and more than 150 cameras with video analytics.
A high-level meeting was recently held at the Red Fort, attended by Central intelligence agencies and security personnel, to review and enhance security measures for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations.