As India gets ready to host the massive G20 Summit in the national capital this weekend, months of planning, anticipation, and security measures are all expected to pay off. The arrival of world leaders has also started.
Ten points in this evolving plot are as follows:
The New Delhi District’s residents and workers are anticipating a forced long weekend, but the Delhi Police is preparing for a busy four days with less than 12 hours till the traffic restrictions begin. Between now until Sunday at midnight, heavy, medium, and light freight vehicles would not be permitted to enter Delhi. Taxis and cars will be subject to the same limitations starting at 5 AM on Saturday.
According to a gazette notice published by the Delhi government, the whole New Delhi District will be a “Controlled Zone” starting tomorrow morning and lasting through Sunday. India Gate, C-Hexagon, and other such locations will only be accessible to legitimate residents, permitted cars, and vehicles providing services like cleaning, catering, garbage disposal, for hotels, hospitals, and other vital establishments in the district.
From tomorrow till Sunday, all cloud kitchens, businesses, marketplaces, food delivery services, and commercial delivery services will be closed. The regulated zone will not accept deliveries from websites like Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, or Flipkart, but it will accept deliveries of medications and necessities.
Beginning on Tuesday with the group from Nigeria, international leaders began to arrive. The majority of the visitors will arrive in New Delhi tomorrow, including the delegations from Mexico and the European Union, as well as US Vice President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
For the first time ever, India will host the G20 Summit. Thousands of security officers, including snipers, will be stationed around the perimeter of the summit site. Fighter aircraft from the Indian Air Force will be on alert, and the airspace around the national capital will be inspected for any suspicious activity, including the use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Cutouts of langurs and fish that devour mosquito larvae will add an additional, albeit distinct, layer of security. There have been several incidents of attacks and bites by monkeys on humans in various locations of the city, notably Lutyens’ Delhi. More than a dozen cutouts of langurs have been placed in troubled regions in an effort to fight this. Additionally, about 40 trained individuals who can imitate langur sounds will be used to frighten the monkeys.
Eight crews with pesticide sprayers are spraying possible mosquito breeding grounds across the G20 area. Before the conference, batches of mosquitofish that consume larvae were put into about 180 lakes and fountain pools, according to an official.
The government has cultivated over 7 lakh blooming and foliage plants around Delhi. A total of 15,000 metric tonnes of solid debris have been removed, and to add visual appeal to the city, more than 100 sculptures and 150 fountains with varied designs have been built.
Muktesh Pardeshi, G20 Special Secretary (Operations), stated in an interview with NDTV that India has been the recipient of several requests for bilateral meetings. At Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, the summit’s location, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will personally greet each global leader on Saturday.
At Bharat Mandapam, digital experience zones are being developed so that visiting leaders, delegates, ministers, and media professionals may learn about the advancements India has achieved in the digital sector, according to Mr. Pardeshi. The Reserve Bank of India is creating specific zones where delegation members may test out UPI without having to register for it in order to guarantee that they can do so.
