See Pics: Delhi's Red Fort under heavy security blanket ahead of PM Modi's Independence Day speech
Security forces have formed an impenetrable protective cover around the historic Red Fort in Delhi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 72nd Independence Day tomorrow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will tomorrow address the nation on the 72nd Independence Day from the ramparts of historic Red Fort in the national capital. Ahead of the 72nd Independence Day celebrations, the Mughal-era fort has been put under a heavy security cover, along with other critical areas in the national capital.
Nearly 70,000 Delhi Police personnel are guarding the national capital with close to 10,000 deployed at the Red Fort alone. Senior ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign dignitaries and common people will gather at the Red Fort during the PM's address tomorrow.
Over 500 CCTV cameras have been installed on the routes leading to the Red Fort with over 200 cameras in the fort itself. The footage is being monitored round the clock, police said.
Police have already carried out anti-sabotage checks in the area and visited hotels in the vicinity in search of suspicious elements, officials said, adding that a security audit of the residents, including tenants, has been completed.
Delhi Police personnel have been specifically asked to keep an eye on the sky to ensure that no stray kites are seen in the areas around the Red Fort.
This time, 36 women personnel of the Delhi Police Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit will also be guarding the venue with their male counterparts.
At the Red Fort, a special team of NSG snipers and commandos will form the inner layer of the security cordon, while anti-aircraft guns have been deployed to thwart any aerial intrusion by objects like drones and projectiles. (Photo: PTI)
Delhi Police has deployed 10,000 personnel at the Red Fort. Police have already carried out anti-sabotage checks in the area and visited hotels in the vicinity in search of suspicious elements, officials said, adding that a security audit of the residents, including tenants, has been completed. (Photo: PTI)
Over 500 CCTV cameras have been installed on the routes leading to the Red Fort with over 200 cameras in the fort itself. The footage is being monitored round the clock, police said. (Photo: PTI)
Last year, when the prime minister was addressing the nation on Independence Day, a black kite had landed below the podium. The kite landed quietly without causing any disturbance and the prime minister had continued his address unfazed. (Photo: PTI)
Delhi Police personnel have been specifically asked to keep an eye on the sky to ensure that no stray kites are seen in the areas around the Red Fort. Kite-catchers have been deployed even though kite-flying has been restricted in the area till 11 am. (Photo: PTI)
Delhi Police has prohibited aerial activities, including paragliding, flying UAVs and hot air balloons, across the city on the Independence Day. (Photo: PTI)
Special "spotters" of Delhi Police and the paramilitary will keep an eye on parking areas around the Red Fort. Sniffer dogs will also be part of the extensive security deployment. (Photo: PTI)
The 36 women underwent 15 months of rigorous training in weapons handling, counter-terrorism and Krav Maga - the military self-defence technique pioneered by Israel's security forces - to enter the SWAT team. (Photo: PTI)
Security along the route to be taken by the Prime Minister's cavalcade, from his official residence to the Red Fort, will be monitored with the help of hundreds of CCTV cameras. (Photo: PTI)
The all-women SWAT team started working on August 10 and the security arrangement at the Red Fort is their first major assignment. (Photo: PTI)