New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) Delhi will have exclusive lanes for vehicles, four-layered security checks at venues, experts to battle chemical or biological weapons as well as helicopter surveillance during the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG), Delhi Police announced Monday.
“There would be an exclusive lane for Games vehicles. Any vehicle infringing on that lane would be impounded,” Special Commissioner Neeraj Kumar told reporters here in a presentation on various aspects of the Games security and traffic plans.

The exclusive lanes would run all over the city, connecting the event venues, hotels, games village, practice venues and other important places.

Kumar said that to avoid incidents like in Lahore where the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked by terrorists, police had worked out routes for Games participants — and even the alternative routes.

“Along the routes there will be anti-sabotage teams, Quick Response Teams (QRT), commandos, ambulances, uniformed personnel and snipers on rooftops. Buses carrying athletes will have armed personnel… besides armed escort vehicles,” Kumar added.

Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal revealed details of the Commonwealth Games Act proposal which among other things would address the issue of exclusive lanes being used only by marked vehicles.

“Any (other) vehicle on that road would be impounded. It is still a proposal and needs to be passed by parliament,” he said while expressing confidence that the Games would go on without glitches.

“Delhi has successfully organised various international meets… We organised the Olympic Torch Relay without any disruption though we have a large Tibetan population. We hope to repeat that,” Dadwal said.

“Not only Games but we are looking at the security of the city holistically. We are working in close coordination with various agencies. We have a foolproof security plan in place,” he added.

The police have also taken elaborate security measures at the Games venue and the Games village.

The security apparatus at the village would include three-meter perimeter wall along with 1.5 metre iron grills, CCTV surveillance, Quick Response Teams and teams to battle chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear explosives.

The police have also made hi-tech arrangements to check vehicular traffic into the Games village.

“At first level, radio frequency identification, under vehicle scanner and boom barrier would be there. But if someone, somehow breaks that barrier, there will be ‘tyre killers’. And if someone crosses even that, then there will be an automated road blocker,” Kumar said.

People entering the village will be cheked by door frame metal detectors and hand held metal detectors as well as X-ray scanners. They would also have bar-coded passes and IDs.

“All the police personnel on Games duty will be given non-clonnable identity cards.”

The in-charge of the security plan at the Games village would be a senior police officer called the venue commander. He would oversee all operations.

The Games venues would have a four-layer security: outer, middle, inner and exclusion.

At the outer layer, traffic will be stopped and access will be controlled. The middle layer would have another check and surveillance of people. At the inner level, tickets will be checked with barcode reading. Spectators will also be photographed.

At the exclusion zone people will have to go through DFMD, Xray baggage scanners, manual frisking and identity checks before being sent to their respective entry doors.

“Even inside the stadium there will be adequate security arrangement. Heli-borne assault teams will be deployed to thwart terrorists,” Kumar added.

The parking sites marked across Delhi for Games will also have high security. Official vehicles would be driven by drivers who would undergo background checks.

The police have also planned tight security at hotels.

“Hotels already have their security. Besides these, we will have CCTV surveillance. Watch towers will be installed. The work force in the hotels will also be screened and get special accreditation cards,” Kumar said.

“Even the food going to hotels would be tasted and checked by experts.”

Delhi Police would set up a Central Command Control Center at its headquarters.

–Indo-Asian News service

ma/mr