25,000 cops, 35 routes, 11 hotels: How Delhi is securing the BRICS Summit

*At least 10 DCPs have been deployed at and around Bharat Mandapam.

*At least 100 NSG commandos, along with Delhi Police SWAT personnel, have been tasked with securing the venue and hotels. According to a police officer, rehearsals for the movement of cavalcades from the airport to the hotels and the venue, and back, have already been conducted multiple times. Mock drills under the supervision of the NSG, in the likelihood of an emergency situation, have also been conducted at the venue and hotels around five times in the past 10 days.

*According to a source, the Delhi Traffic Police has finalised routes for dignitaries travelling to Bharat Mandapam.

*Around 25,000 personnel, apart from local police, will ensure a peaceful and hassle-free event. More than 10,000

personnel, drawn from paramilitary forces, including the CRPF, ITBP, BSF and RAF, will remain on standby for any requirement.

*Two command rooms have been set up at Bharat Mandapam and the Delhi Police Headquarters to oversee the whole security event and the movement of the cavalcades.

From September 11, 11 major hotels, where the dignitaries will begin arriving, will be placed under full security cover of the Delhi Police and other security agencies. Each hotel has been assigned a security team led by NSG officials.

Officials, meanwhile, said Russia and China are expected to have the largest motorcades among the visiting delegations.

All venues, hotels and dignitaries’ cavalcades have been given special code words for use by security officials commanding their respective areas. A multi-layered security grid has been put in place, with anti-aircraft guns, anti-drone systems, snipers and anti-sabotage teams deployed at strategic locations across central Delhi.

“The security grid has been divided into sectors, with each sector placed under the charge of a Deputy Commissioner of Police or an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police,” a source, meanwhile, said.

Roads shut, weekend holiday

Roads leading to Lutyens’ Delhi will remain largely shut on Saturday and Sunday; police personnel will be deployed on these roads to prevent movement of unauthorised people.

BNSS Section 163 (prohibition of gathering of people) has already been imposed in central and Lutyens’ Delhi, but on Saturday and Sunday, it will be enforced across Delhi.

The government has declared a holiday on Friday and Saturday; courts will also remain closed. Major markets such as Connaught Place and Chandni Chowk, as well as prominent monuments, will remain open, as dignitaries or their family members may visit them. Special police teams will be provided for their security, officials said.

The traffic police has identified nearly 35 routes that are likely to be affected during the summit-related events. The routes are being monitored through CCTV cameras and guarded by security personnel to prevent. The traffic police have also advised diversions on 22 routes.

Preparations began a month ago

The Delhi Police began preparations for the summit more than a month ago in coordination with internal security agencies and officials of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Multiple rounds of interstate meetings have been held with senior officers from Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh to formulate modalities for checking at the borders before and during the BRICS events.

Officials have discussed intelligence sharing, border checks, verification of suspicious persons and vehicles, drone surveillance and the movement of other flying objects.

Police forces in neighbouring states have also been asked to share advance information about suspicious persons and vehicles to facilitate coordinated action.