Republic Day security: No visitors to be allowed inside airport

New Delhi: The IGI Airport’s international and domestic terminals will remain out of bounds for visitors for 11 days, starting January 20, in wake of the heightened threat to this year’s Republic Day celebrations.

The entry of the visitors to the Indira Gandhi International Airport is being restricted following intelligence reports that terror outfits could use explosives after implanting them through surgical means in humans and animals. The security agencies have also been told to maintain strict on-ground monitoring of regulatory guidelines for operations of non-conventional aerial platforms like microlite aircraft, para gliders, aeromodels, unmanned aerial vehicles and systems, drones and hot air balloons. The police has also issued orders restricting flying of drones and other objects in the New Delhi district till February 9.

At a recent high-level meeting to take stock of the security measures for the Republic Day celebrations, the Delhi police has decided to take strict action against cyber cafes who are caught for allowing customers to use internet without furnishing their identity proof. The police has directed hotels, bars, restaurants, guest houses and motels to keep track on suspicious persons and immediately report about their movements to the local police.

All hotels have also been told to make arrangements for CCTV recording facility as per rules. The station house officers have been instructed to check the registers of the shops selling chemicals in their respective areas.

Police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma has also directed DCPs to keep a strict watch on high-rise buildings in their districts. A senior officer said: “Adequate police force will be deployed in all high rise structures in the New Delhi district. Also rooms facing the RD parade area in hotels and other places will be sanitised every day till RD celebrations are over.”

A source said that Mr Verma has told his officers to ensure that all personnel assigned the job of security for the RD celebrations should familiarise themselves with each other in their respective districts for quick action response to deal with any untoward incident. He has directed the snipers to practice in shooting range on a daily basis. The officers have been directed to be very careful about the movement of vehicles coming across the Yamuna river in Outer, East, Shahdara and Northeast districts. They were also directed to put up barricades on time on all roads leading to New Delhi.

The police chief told the officers to hold meetings with truck associations so that restrictions, which are put in place on movement of heavy and light medium vehicles are conveyed to them and their concerns, if any, are addressed on time. Mr Verma also directed that a list of vehicles stolen from Delhi.

Secretariat and Ministeries and Defence and Home should be provided to police personnel manning pickets and barricades in the city. He has also requested his officers to make a request to the Election Commission to exempt one of the two DCPs from  doing election duty.