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Aerial surveillance to keep Delhi secure on I-Day
As part of its meticulous security arrangements to ward off terrorist strikes on Independence Day, Delhi Police will mount aerial surveillance a night before August 15 over the national capital region.
As part of its meticulous security arrangements to ward off terrorist strikes on Independence Day, Delhi Police will mount aerial surveillance a night before August 15 over the national capital region.
Thousands of security personnel have been deployed to "sanitise" the city on Sunday -- when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh makes his maiden address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India's 58th Independence Day.
And aerial surveillance is part of the security apparatus to make surveillance flawless in the capital, said Delhi Police Commissioner KK Paul.
Elaborating, a senior police official said that a chopper equipped with weapons, night vision devices and highly trained security personnel would keep "strict aerial surveillance on every corner of the Capital".
The chopper would particularly focus on the Red Fort and high security areas like Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, Prime Minister's residence and other vital installations in and around the capital.
"Elaborate security arrangements have been made for Independence Day. I see no reason to panic because the entire security apparatus has been revamped and streamlined, not just for the Red Fort but the entire capital," Paul said.
Senior Delhi Police officials admitted that a recent circular issued by central intelligence agencies indicated that a Pakistan-based terrorist group might strike in the Capital.
Guesthouses, hotels, STD booths and cyber cafes are under scrutiny, even as police patrolling has been intensified. The army, National Security Guard and the Prime Minister's security staff have also been roped in for anti-sabotage checks.
"Several mock drills have taken place to make sure that response time of each and every security personnel is swift and there are no problems of coordination," an official said.
Police have carried out several mock drills for bomb disposal squads, anti-sabotage units and snipers deployed at key positions on Sunday.
