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Tight security for CWG closing, marathon tomorrow

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Jan 21 2013 | 5:24 AM IST

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Connaught Place in the national capital will tomorrow turn into a security fortress ahead of the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony and marathon race.

Police are describing the security measures taken for the Games as "so far so good" and want to sustain the momentum.

Commuters passing through the localities close to the stadium and the route of the marathon race will face some traffic restrictions while an imposing security ring will be thrown around them.
   
Tomorrow's closing ceremony at the 60,000 capacity Jawaharlal Nehru stadium is likely to be attended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sri Lankan President Mahendra Rajapakse and other dignitaries.
     
"We are not leaving any stone untoward.The heightened security will be there. The arrangements have been so for so good," a senior police official said.
   
Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal has reviewed the arrangements for the closing ceremony as well as the marathon at a meeting of senior officials.
   
Hundreds of armed men will be deployed around the stadium and spectators will have to undergo checks at four security points while IAF choppers will survey the skies and snipers at rooftops will keep a hawk-eye vigil.
   
The stadium has 19 entry points where card readers, door frame metal detectors and X-Ray baggage machines have been installed.
   
Mobile quick reaction teams has been deployed on the outer perimeter of the venue.
     
At the outer cordon of the stadium, traffic will be stopped and access controlled.
     
At the middle cordon, police will channelise the spectators to their designated seats while in the inner cordon, the barcode reading of tickets will take place and the spectators' photos captured.
     
At the centre will be the exclusion zone which is in the 30-metre radius of the stadium, where spectators and guests will undergo a check through door frame metal detectors and X-Ray scanning besides manual searching.
   
Only those with valid parking stickers will be allowed near the stadium. Delhi Police yesterday came out with an advisory for those headed to the Stadium for the closing ceremony, saying it has learnt lessons from the difficulties faced by spectators during the inaugural extravaganza.
   
Its advisory includes information on blockage and restrictions on roads and which Metro station to alight on if one has to enter the stadium through a particular gate.
   
There are three Metro stations, Jorbagh, JLN and Jangpura, near the stadium.
   
A tight security and traffic machinery has been put in place for the marathon race also.
   
The route for the Marathon is from Rajpath, Janpath, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, Red Cross Road, Parliament Street, Outer and Inner Circus Connaught Place, Minto Road, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg and return.
   
Traffic will be blocked at South Fountain, Rafi Marg, Janpath, Rajpath, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, Ashoka Road, Raisina Road, Tolstoy Marg, Outer and Inner Circus Connaught Place, Barakhamba Road, DDU Marg, Jahangir Road, Bhav Bhuti Marg, State Entry Road, Jai Singh Road, Imtiaz Khan Marg and Talkatora Road for movements towards competition routes.
   
Vehicles will not be allowed near the marathon route and provisions have been made for parking at Man Singh Road and C Hexagon at India Gate.
   
Two spots have been identified for spectators to watch the event.
     
One is at Rajpath and Janpath crossing where around 1,000 viewers can watch the event while the second one is at A and B block of Connaught Place.
     
DTC will be providing a park-and-ride facility.
     
Around 4,500 policemen will be deployed for the marathon.
     
Delhi Metro has also made elaborate arrangements for commuters who are going to use the new-age transport system to visit the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium for the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
   
Additional signages will be put up at both Jangpura and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Metro stations where details about the nearby gates of the stadium will be mentioned.
   
While the Jangpura station is near gate numbers 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the Stadium, gate numbers 13, 14 and 15 are close to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Metro station.
     
Repeated announcements will be made at Jangpura and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Metro stations about the nearby gate numbers of the JLN Stadium.
     
The DMRC will also deploy more than 150 additional personnel comprising Customer Facilitation Agents, guards and volunteers at the Central Secretariat, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Jangpura Metro stations to guide the commuters.
     
Metro trains will run at a frequency of 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
     
If needed, additional trains will also be run after the stipulated revenue hours to manage the crowd.

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First Published: Oct 13 2010 | 11:24 AM IST

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