By George Joseph and Praveen Kumar, IANS,
New Delhi : From plainclothes detectives mingling with the crowds to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Indian capital is under an unprecedented security cover to ensure a trouble-free Commonwealth Games starting Sunday.
Besides some 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel on Delhi’s roads, the UAVs will be looking for possible air intrusions. Ground personnel are equipped to battle chemical, biological or radiological attacks.
According to officials, the most high-tech security systems are in place for the Games that has drawn 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories.
Army helicopters have begun hovering over the sprawling Games Village housing the visitors. Armed personnel have taken positions at city centres and vital installations.
Hundreds of plainclothesmen are mingling with the city populace in markets and Metro trains, residential colonies and bus stations.
“Home Minister (P.) Chidambaram has been personally supervising the arrangements,” Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran told IANS.
“There may be extra checking and traffic restrictions during the Games but these are natural in a big event,” said an official from the ministry.
The home ministry, which controls Delhi Police, is in overall charge of the Games security.
Besides the 80,000-strong Delhi Police, nearly 20,000 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and 1,500 National Security Guards (NSG) commandos will be on duty for the biggest sports event India will host since the 1982 Asian Games.
The army and Indian Air Force (IAF) will provide high-tech expertise.
Already, IAF radars are in use to monitor air security while army helicopters are providing air cover. The army will be on stand-by to meet any emergency, official sources said.
For the first time, devices to check chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks have been deployed in various stadiums, they added.
“Delhi Police will be the face of the Games security though it will have ample support from paramilitary forces, armed forces and the intelligence agencies,” said an official.
A 24X7 control room functions in the North Block office of the home ministry.
Control rooms have been set up at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which will host the inaugural and closing ceremonies, the Games village and the other Games venues.
Security has been tightened in the areas bordering Delhi. While the shooting competition is to be held in Gurgaon in Haryana, cycling will take place in Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
Hotels and locations frequented by foreigners are under special watch.
Intelligence agencies have been studying potential threats from various terrorists outfits for several months, another senior official told IANS.
“There have been no direct threat which in security language can be described as based on ‘actionable intelligence’,” he said.
As part of the Games security, the city will have 5,000 barricades, 285 police control room (PCR) vans and 377 explosion proof barriers.
Twenty mobile hydraulic cranes, 80 radiation meters, 80 minesweepers and nine armoured vans will be among new equipment.
“There are lot of newcomers including 12,000 young police personnel and 123 new dogs in our canine squad,” said Rajan Bhagat, the Delhi Police spokesman.
“Our aim is to provide effective security to the Games with minimal inconvenience to the public,” Minister Ramachandran said.
(George Josxeph can be contacted at george.j @ ians.in)