As India celebrates its 74th Independence Day today, the Delhi Police said that it has made multi-layered security arrangements for the occasion in the national capital.
Apart from securing the main venue at Red Fort, adequate security arrangements were made across the city.
The Delhi Traffic Police had said earlier this week that vehicles without parking or access levels will not be allowed near the Red Fort area and cars will not be allowed on eight roads between 4 am-10 am on August 13 to 15 in view of Independence Day.
"Necessary security arrangements have been made for Independence Day. Arrangements have also been made in the view of the threat from aerial objects like drones and microlight aircraft. We have sought public cooperation so that no place is used to launch any terror attack," Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava said.
He also informed that Delhi the Police held an online inter-state coordination meeting with various states/Union Territory including Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar and discussed security measures in the view of August 15.
The Delhi Police further said that necessary coordination has been made with other agencies like National Security Guard (NSG), Special Protection Group (SPG) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
"All the agencies will work in close coordination with each other to cater to all kinds of threat inputs. SWAT teams and Parakram vans have been strategically stationed," the Delhi police said.
Deployment of security personnel is being made both in plainclothes and uniform. Facial recognition system has also been set up at vantage points for the identification of suspects. The police said that all the necessary guidelines in view of the COVID-19 pandemic will be enforced.
This time India will witness a completely different Independence Day function at Red Fort in the national capital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 20 per cent VVIPs or other participants will be able to witness the live speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared to previous years.
Till last year, at least 10,000 people used to attend the function at Red Fort.
( With inputs from ANI )