Security tightened in national capital for R-Day celebrations

New Delhi, Jan 24:

has been beefed up in the national capital with around 25,000 personnel of the

and paramilitary forces keeping a tight vigil to ensure incident-free

celebrations.

Elaborate ground-to-air security has been put in place, especially on the 8-km-long route for Republic Day parade from Raisina Hills to Red Fort. During the parade, spotters and snipers will be positioned on high-rise buildings while officials will keep a tab on all movements between Rajpath and Red Fort with over 160 CCTV cameras installed in the area.

A central monitoring centre has also been established where the CCTV footage will be relayed live and top officials will constantly review the security detail in real time. Those on ground will also keep them abreast about the situation. "The entire stretch will be sanitised several times manually with metal detectors and sniffer dogs.

Every possible step will be taken to ensure fool-proof security during the event," a senior police official said. The Republic Day parade, which showcases India's military might and cultural diversity, will be attended by a host of VVIPs and foreign dignitaries. Security personnel have identified vulnerable spots like crowded markets, railway stations, bus stands and other high-value establishments and efforts have been made to secure them.

Traffic police will also deploy around 1,500 personnel to manage route diversions during the parade. Patrolling in public places has been intensified and checking and frisking in metro, railway stations and bus terminals tightened. All metro station parking lots will remain closed from 2 PM on January 25 to 2 PM the next day.

The official said SWAT teams of the Delhi Police, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters of National Security Guard will also be deployed at various places while paramilitary and Delhi Police commandos will keep a close watch along the parade route. A multi-layer security ring has already been put in place at Rajpath, where President Pranab Mukherjee will unfurl the tricolour and take the salute of marching contingents.

Security at the IGI airport has also been strengthened in coordination with the CISF. A very tight vigil will also be kept in coordination with police forces of neighbouring states at all border checkpoints and barricades will be set up to check vehicles entering the city.

PTI