New Delhi all set to welcome global leaders for G20 summit
A security force personnel in Delhi patrols past hoardings featuring India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi along an empty road on Friday. Reuters
With bright murals, graffiti and painted walls, New Delhi has pulled out all the stops to ensure a smooth G20 summit that will host world leaders on 9th and 10th September. The G20 summit being held in New Delhi under India's Presidency will draw the participation of the top leaders, reported Asian News International (ANI).
The G20, or the Group of Twenty, comprises 19 countries – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, the United States-- and the European Union. During the summit, the national capital will play host to US President Joe Biden, Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, among others.
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The authorities have beautified roads, footpaths, roundabouts, markets, flyovers, and public areas with potted plants. On the security front, the Delhi Police has heightenSed security across the city. Delhi Police continued its security checks on Friday morning. The central business and government district of New Delhi came to a standstill on Friday with markets shuttered, schools closed and traffic restricted as tens of thousands of security personnel fanned out for the weekend summit of G20 countries.
The official closure came into effect at midnight on Thursday with leaders of the group scheduled to begin arriving from Friday morning for the most high-powered global meeting hosted by India. On Friday, the centre of the normally bustling city of 20 million was deserted, with just a trickle of vehicles and scores of armed security personnel seen along the main streets, Reuters witnesses said.
Nearly 130,000 police and paramilitary security personnel have been deployed across the city, mostly in the New Delhi district, with the air force providing cover from aerial threats.
Zenon, Ming, Zone, Zozo and Zinger are among six NSG dog squad members with their handlers as well as bomb disposal units kept on checking inside and outside the periphery of Rajghat from the beginning of the day on Thursday till late night on different occasions to ensure a safe and secure event.
These specially trained security members of NSG's dog squad are among their other colleagues who are also strategically deployed at India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and the Pusa campus – other venues where the summit and related events are scheduled. Curbs on traffic regulations have also come into force in the national capital.
The New Delhi district has been designated as Controlled Zone-I from Friday 5 am till Sunday 11.59pm because of the summit. Delhi Traffic Police on Friday morning said that the movement of buses into the city from the Rajokari border has been stopped with effect from 8th September till 10th September. Online delivery services, except for medicines, have been barred in the area where the G20 summit venue and hotels for delegates are located.
According to the gazette notification issued by the Delhi Government on Tuesday, all types of goods vehicles, commercial vehicles, interstate buses and local city buses have been stopped from operating on Mathura Road (beyond Ashram Chowk), Bhairon Road, Purana Quila Road and inside Pragati Maidan Tunnel from 00:00 hours on the intervening night of 7th and 8th September, to 23:59 hours on 10th September. However, interstate buses are being allowed to enter from other borders of Delhi. The movement of buses into Delhi from the Rajokari border has also been stopped.
WAM/Reuters
