With about 10 days to go for the G20 summit in Delhi, the Indian Air Force, the Delhi police, and the paramilitary forces have spread out across the national capital to secure the high-profile event. Sources told CNN-News18 that the secretary (security) met all the stakeholders on Tuesday to finalise the security aspects of the G20 meeting scheduled from September 8 to 10 in Delhi.
While Delhi Police is the nodal agency, the support of paramilitary forces has also been sought to augment the manpower. CRPF will provide VIP security, SSB spouse security, while all units of NSG—from anti-terror to anti-sabotage to anti-drone and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear)—have been put on standby in case of any exigency.
Challenges
The NSG has been roped in for anti-terror and anti-sabotage operations. Bomb Disposal, anti-drone, and anti-biological and chemical weapon units are on standby. The anti-drone units with specialised guns and jamming devices have been deployed at the summit venue, CNN-News18 has learnt.
But it is securing the hotels that is proving to be a challenge. US President Joe Biden is expected to stay at ITC Maurya, Chinese President Xi Jinping at Taj Palace, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Shangri-La, and French President Emmanuel Macron at The Oberoi. The Imperial, Leela Palace, Taj Mansingh, The Lalit, and The Claridges are some of the other hotels in the New Delhi area that will host top dignitaries.
While intelligence agencies and police have carried out thorough background checks of staff members and issued specific access cards for specific floors, the Indian Air Force and NSG’s task is cut out in case building intervention is required. The rooftops of the hotels where dignitaries will stay are being recced to see if chopper landing and slithering is possible in emergency situations. “Some hotels have junk on rooftops which can become flying missiles if a chopper whirls over them. Some other hotels have solar panels on top, leaving very little space while one hotel has pillars on the roof making it unfit for chopper landing,” a security grid officer told News18.
IAF and NSG will carry out slithering drills in the next two days over designated hotels to see if the buildings are equipped in case commandos have to be air-dropped for an emergency.
Similar drills in open grounds have already been carried out at Pitampura in west Delhi and Akshardham Temple in the east.
1,000 specially trained commandos
About 1,000 CRPF personnel have received specialised training for proximate security at the force’s academy in Noida over the past two months. The personnel chosen for specialised training have prior SPG or NSG experience. “A refresher course in VIP security has been given to those who have handled high-profile VIPs in their previous stints with SPG or NSG. It is almost like the 10-week training that is given to commandos. Soft skills have also been imparted about cultural sensibilities of the 18 countries whose delegates are expected to visit,” an officer dealing with VIP security told CNN-News18.
CRPF in collaboration with Delhi police is responsible for the security of the Bharat Mandapam G20 venue and the dignitaries at hotels. All the drivers who will be part of the carcade will be from CRPF. Multiple backup vehicles have been kept ready to ferry the dignitaries. The specially trained personnel have started moving to Delhi’s NCC grounds for full rehearsals ahead of the summit.
‘Friendly’ faces at summit venue
Close to 4,000 Delhi policemen are expected to be deployed at the Pragati Maidan venue of the G20 summit but most would be in plain clothes. Officials said the decision was taken because the presence of so many uniformed men and women could have made security an “in your face” concern.
1,300 plainclothes Delhi policemen and 400 traffic police personnel could also be deployed outside the summit venue.
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