High alert ahead of G20 meet
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 18 : Security has been put on high alert ahead of G20 in Kashmir with National Security Guards and Marine Commandos deployed in Srinagar for the security of the summit meeting to be held next week.
The elite National Security Guard Commandos today carried out an area domination and security sanitization exercise in Lal Chowk area of the city here ahead of the G20 summit next week.
Police and CRPF personnel accompanied a posse of NSG personnel during the exercise. The security personnel checked the hotels at the Lal Chowk area, spoke to their owners and took some information from them.
The Marine Commandos were also seen patrolling and sanitizing the Dal lake for the second consecutive day today.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar today said that elaborate security arrangements have been made ahead of G-20. “We have made elaborate security arrangements. A three-tier security cover will remain to ensure incident free events. Guests will come on May 22 and leave on May 25,” he said.
Kumar said that police will put in place anti-drone equipment with the help of NSG and the Army. “Police are fully capable to deal with any threat in water bodies but since Marine Commandos were available, they have been deployed in Dal Lake and other bodies,” he said, adding that police, CRPF and SSB teams will also be deployed in strength to foil any possible threats by militants.
To a query whether there would be any restrictions, ADGP Kumar said that no curbs would be placed anywhere. “Some rumour mongers are spreading rumours about curbs. Strict action will be taken against such elements,” he said. The Kashmir police chief said that all the security teams have been properly briefed to ensure general people don’t face any inconvenience during the G20 event.
Marine commandos have already been deputed in the famous Dal Lake while as NSG commandos conducted a recee of city centre Lal Chowk, ahead of the international event. This is for the first time that Kashmir will host a G-20 event under India’s presidency.
The ADGP Kashmir and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bhiduri also chaired a high level of security review jointly in Srinagar today. On Wednesday, DGP Dilbag Singh also chaired a crucial security review meeting at PHQ where he stressed on ensuring a close-synergy among the security agencies. The DGP also stepped up vigil on highways and ordered night patrolling to “keep anti-national elements and terrorists at bay.”
In the meantime, several schools have been shut in Srinagar ahead of G20. The schools which have been closed include Army Public School, Delhi Public School, Kashmir Valley School, Foundation world, Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson. The schools have issued notice to the students that there would be holiday in the schools. Some schools were conducting class tests and they have been postponed.
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