Security agencies go into overdrive
With the Hockey World Cup days away, the security agencies are busy drawing up a “foolproof security plan” for the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, which will host the quadrennial event from February 28.
The agencies are also chalking out a “traffic scheme” around the time the matches are scheduled and police sources said that a dedicated lane for buses ferrying players was also being discussed.
The stadium, which has a capacity of 19,000, will be provided with four layers of security. The National Security Guards (NSG) commandos and armed police personnel will be deployed at all exit and entry points. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has provided 1,200 additional paramilitary personnel and 200 commandos to Delhi Police for matches.
“In the run-up to the World Cup, we will have security review meetings every day. The security plans are being fine-tuned,” said Additional Commissioner of Police, Shankar Dash. Police sources also said that the team hotels would be sanitised.
“We have asked the hotels where the players would be staying to be extra cautious. All five-star hotels have baggage scanners and doorframe metal detectors at entry-exit points. We have asked them to report any suspicious person or object,” said a senior police officer. Police sources also said that there would be separate parking facilities for VIPs, officials and visitors. “We will not block the roads since the stadium has a strategic location. A plan is being chalked out to dedicate a corridor for the movement of buses ferrying players. A traffic cop would be posted every 50 metres,” said a senior traffic police officer.
Quick-reaction teams, anti-riot vehicles, bomb detection squads and sniffer dogs would be stationed around the venue as standby force. “A new traffic scheme for the matches will be finalised in a couple of days,” said Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).