Srinagar: Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Thursday said that three-tier security arrangements were in place and that there would be no restrictions in any part of Kashmir on the days when the G20 Tourism Working Group meets in Srinagar.
“This G20 tourism working group meeting is focused on tourism development and locals will gain from it. They (foreign delegates) will arrive on May 22 and depart on May 25. This is a public occasion, and as such, we have maintained complete security procedures. There is a three-tier security in place,” Kumar said. “As part of a three-tier security system, we are putting in place air anti-drone technology with the assistance of the NSG and Army, and for the water body – Dal Lake – we have the Marcos team in place in addition to the Police. To make sure that the event is successful and peaceful, three-tier Police, BSF, CRPF, and SSB personnel are being deployed on the ground.”
About the deployment of marine commandos in Dal Lake, he said that Police was capable of dealing with the security inside the water body and carrying out any combat operation but as the Marcos team was available, they had been deployed in Dal Lake.
The ADGP Kashmir said that a few miscreants were circulating certain stories and that Police would take action against them.
“There won’t be restrictions because it’s a public event. So, everyone may go about daily business as usual. To prevent any inconvenience to the public, we have also informed security personnel on the ground to ensure hassle-free movement of the people,” he said. “We are working to make sure this event goes off without a hitch and is a huge success.”
Kashmir would host the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting from May 22 to 24.
The first G20 Tourism Working Group meeting was held at the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat in February and the second in West Bengal’s Siliguri in April.
Under India’s chairmanship, the G20 meetings would be conducted in Srinagar for the first time with heavy security.
To guarantee that the event goes ahead without a hitch, extensive security measures have been implemented.
The J&K government has said that G20 is a chance to highlight the tourist potential of J&K on a worldwide scale and revitalise the once-struggling tourism industry.
Kashmir has recently seen record numbers of tourists arrive, and according to tourism officials, this year’s total is expected to surpass prior highs.
Marine Commandos and NSG would guard the primary site of the G20 meeting in Srinagar – the SKICC on the banks of Dal Lake – as well as the hotels and lodges where the foreign delegates would stay.
While the security grid in Kashmir has designed a counter plan to thwart all potential threats, vehicle-borne IEDs, suicide bombings, sticky bomb assaults, drone attacks, and grenade attacks – the location would continue to be under overhead observation.
The Army would keep security at the maximum level on Kashmir’s major thoroughfares and other key road connections.
The PMO, Union Home Secretary, and Director IB also reviewed the security arrangements of Srinagar ahead of the mega event.