A multi-layer security blanket has been thrown around the national capital on Republic Day eve with anti-aircraft guns and LMGs positioned at vantage points in view of intelligence inputs that terror groups may target some important installations in the national capital.
Gunners have been given clear instructions to bring down any aerial object flying without permission. A 'NOTAM' (Notice to Airmen) has been declared from 10.35 AM to 12.15 PM during which no flights will land or take off at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Special arrangements have been made at the historic Rajpath where President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, will be witnessing nation's military might that will be on display.
French President Francois Hollande, who is the Chief Guest of this year's Republic Day, will be seated along with Mukherjee and host of VVIPs including Vice President Hamind Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As a precautionary measure, LMGs have been positioned at 10 vantage points along the route which the parade will take. "Specially trained police personnel with light machine guns have been deployed at 10 strategic spots in New Delhi area," a senior police official said.
Besides the entire might of Delhi Police, personnel from paramilitary forces have also been pressed into security duty service.
Ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, central security agencies and NIA busted a module by arresting 14 members of a terror group which was taking diktats from banned terror group ISIS. The group had planned to carry out sensational strikes at important installations and its members had also visited the national capital, official sources said.
The senior official said that snipper had been put on 45 buildings overlooking Rajpath besides providing a similar cover along all the buildings along the parade route.
Meanwhile, the airspace will remain out of bounds for commercial flights arriving and departing out of the IGI airport here between 10.35 AM and 12.15 PM tomorrow. Around 60 arrivals and departures take place at the IGI airport during this period, for which the notice was issued by the Airports Authority of India.
As many as 1000 traffic officials have been issued revolvers so that they can deal with any untoward incident amid heavy security arrangements across the city involving around 25,000 police officials.
"We are coordinating with central security forces and adequate security arrangements have been made," Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said.
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Meanwhile, Delhi Police has set up a wireless integrated public address (WIPA) system to enhance security at crowded places and popular markets in the city.
"WIPA is a centralised public address system now installed at 31 crowded places and markets in Delhi, and also in 13 major metro stations.
"Through this system, announcements can be made centrally from the police control room to be heard at all the places simultaneously, or even selectively, with a provision to make announcements if the situation warrants," a senior Delhi Police official said.
The present WIPA network includes popular markets at Lajpat Nagar, INA Market, South Extension, Nehru Place and M-Block in Greater Kailash, metro stations like Mandi House, Inderlok, Welcome and Netaji Subhash Place, besides other crowded areas like Ajmeri Gate, Ballimaran, Red Fort, Azadpur, Bhogal, Seelampur market and Tilak Nagar.
The national capital is already on high alert ahead of the official celebrations here after inputs were received about the presence of key members of several terror groups in Delhi.
In an inter-state coordination meeting held earlier this month, Bassi had asked his force and police departments of the neighbouring states to keep a vigilant eye on drones, as they have been perceived as a major threat to security, said a senior police official.
The matter attained priority after a UAV was spotted near IGI Airport here around three months ago but its source or handler could not be tracked by the police, following which Delhi Police announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh last month for any information about it.
