A day before the country celebrates its 79th Independence Day, security measures in the Capital were stepped up with snipers being deployed at high-rise buildings and camera surveillance being increased across the city.

11,000 security personnel and 3,000 traffic police have been posted for security in and around the Red Fort, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on Friday. 

‘Commercial vehicles restricted’

Delhi Traffic Police has issued instructions to restrict commercial vehicles from entering the Capital after 10 p.m. on Thursday. Special teams have been deployed at all major railway stations, inter-State bus terminals, airports, and metro stations for round-the-clock monitoring, a senior police officer said. 

On Wednesday, Delhi Police Commissioner S.B.K Singh briefed officers on the arrangements with a key directive to ensure there are no bird feeding points in the areas surrounding the Red Fort. “The Delhi police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has asked non-vegetarian eateries to dispose of food waste properly so flocks of birds are not attracted,” a senior police officer said. This measure aims to prevent any disturbance to helicopter movement on August 15.

Mr. Singh has also issued an order banning the use of sub-conventional aerial platforms such as paragliders, hang-gliders, UAVs, drones, hot air balloons and other remotely piloted aircraft over Delhi skies between August 2 and August 16. “These aerial platforms can be potentially misused by anti-social elements or terrorist outfits for para-jumping or launching airborne attacks, posing a serious threat to public safety, VIP security, and critical installations during the Independence Day celebrations,” an official order said.

Speed boats have also been deployed along the Yamuna river for added surveillance, the officer added.

Apart from physical deployment, surveillance through CCTV cameras, drone detection systems, facial recognition cameras and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras will be used to monitor the venue and its surrounding areas, a senior police officer said.

UVSS cameras

For the first time, under-vehicle surveillance systems (UVSS) will be deployed at five parking areas of the Red Fort to scan the underside of vehicles for explosives, weapons or contraband, the officer said. The admission to Red Fort on Friday is strictly through invitation cards and only labelled vehicles will be allowed in its vicinity, the officer added.

Headcount cameras to track crowd numbers and devices to flag unattended or suspicious objects will also be used, while intrusion-detection cameras will monitor restricted zones, he said.

Plain-clothed surveillance teams are being mobilised to strengthen ground presence, another officer said. “Social media platforms are also being closely monitored by the cyber units to detect and neutralise any possible online threats or misinformation campaigns that may disrupt peace,” he said.