Roads in New Delhi area wear deserted look as G20 security curbs kick in

As stringent traffic regulations and security restrictions came into force in the New Delhi district on Friday in view of the G20 Summit, the area wore a deserted look with key landmarks also without visitors.

Delhi Police said that things went "smoothly" and "seamlessly" on the first day G20-the related security restrictions were implemented in the New Delhi area which houses the summit venue and the delegates' hotels.

"Traffic restrictions are imposed in a very small area of New Delhi district. That small portion has been restricted to the general public while the rest of Delhi is open," said Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa, a day before top leaders from the G20 nations officially hold the meet.

"We have been working for the last many months to ensure smooth functioning for everyone. We have restricted traffic and closed commercial establishments in the NDMC area since the movement of delegates from one place to another and to their hotels will be only in this portion, Nalwa said.

This has been done for the smooth operation and their commuting. Essential services of this area are working properly," she added.

Barring a protest by the Tibetan Youth Congress in Majnu Ka Tila area, which is at a substantial distance from the New Delhi area, there were no untoward incidents reported, Delhi Police said.

The police arrested a man from the Bhalswa Dairy area for allegedly circulating a hoax alert on social media regarding an auto-rickshaw carrying guns and explosives towards the G20 Summit area.

The New Delhi area where the summit will be held has been heavily barricaded, with police checking vehicles and IDs of people entering the area.

Officials said over 50,000 personnel along with dog squads and mounted police have been deployed for the summit.

At the exit point of Patel Chowk metro station, commuters' IDs were being checked. Those who were not bonafide residents of the area or could not provide any valid reason for their presence in the area, were asked to return.

Similar checking was also being carried out at other metro stations in the area.

The Hanuman Mandir and the Connaught Place, usually thronged by people, were seen to be deserted.

Online delivery of services, except for medicines, have been barred in the New Delhi area, officials said. Housekeeping, catering and waste management for hotels, hospitals would be allowed after verification.

According to Raj Niwas officials, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena will remain in constant touch with the city police commissioner and monitor the security situation for the mega-event.

At the control room, senior police officers are monitoring the round-the-clock live visuals from nearly 5,000 CCTV cameras installed at different parts of the city.

Police maintained a tight vigil in other parts of Delhi as well, with cops patrolling the Yamuna river through boats to stop anyone from entering the city from that route.

New Delhi district has been designated as Controlled Zone-I from Friday 5 am till Sunday 11.59 pm due to the summit.

Police have urged people not to visit India Gate and Kartavya Path for walking or cycling. While the movement of vehicles is being regulated in the area, ambulances have been permitted to operate.

Essential services such as postal and medical services, and sample collections by pathological labs are being allowed throughout Delhi.

Metro services started at 4 am from the terminal stations on all lines of the network and it will continue for the next two days.

Services will remain operational at all stations except the Supreme Court station, where boarding and deboarding will not be permitted from 5 am on Saturday till 11 pm on Sunday.

Parking facilities at Supreme Court, Patel Chowk and RK Ashram Marg metro stations will remain closed between 4 am on September 8 and September 11 noon.

Police have urged people to use metro services as much as possible saying movement of buses, auto-rickshaws, taxis and goods vehicles would be restricted.

Police have advised people to use the navigation app 'Mapmyindia' to get around the city and get real-time traffic updates on the 'G-20 Virtual Help Desk'.

The entire area inside the Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg) has been designated as a "regulated zone", which means that only bonafide residents, authorised vehicles, emergency vehicles, and those travelling to the airport, Old Delhi and New Delhi Railway Stations will be allowed to ply on the road network beyond the Ring Road towards New Delhi district.

Nearly 16 roads and junctions will be treated as "Controlled Zone II" till 2 pm on Sunday. These include W-Point, A-Point, DDU Marg, Vikas Marg (till Noida Link Road-Pusta Road), Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Delhi Gate, among others.

Police have requested people to avoid travelling to places within the "regulated" and "controlled zones". It has listed alternative routes to take in case travel is unavoidable.

All types of goods vehicles, commercial vehicles, interstate buses and buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System will not be allowed to ply on the Mathura Road (beyond Ashram Chowk), Bhairon Road, Purana Quila Road and inside the Pragati Maidan Tunnel from September 8 midnight till 11.59 pm on September 10.

Interstate buses coming through the Ghazipur border are terminating at ISBT Sarai Kale Khan, while those from the Apsara border, Chilla border, Badarpur border, Tikei border and Singhu border will terminate at ISBT Kashmere Gate, ISBT Sarai Kale Khan, Ashram Chowk, Peeragarhi Chowk and Mukarba Chowk, respectively.

The two-day G20 Summit begins on Saturday and it will be attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.