Delhi has tightened security for the 18th BRICS Summit, with more than 2,500 personnel deployed in sensitive areas, surveillance expanded across 35 VIP routes and traffic restrictions planned around central Delhi and Pragati Maidan on Saturday.
The main venue, Bharat Mandapam, has been placed under enhanced security arrangements, with National Security Guard and Special Protection Group commandos deployed at the site, according to the report citing Delhi Police. Personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces, Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal are also part of the deployment.
Security monitoring is being carried out along routes connecting the hotels where summit guests are staying with Bharat Mandapam. Delhi Police is using CCTV surveillance to monitor 35 designated VIP routes. The arrangements also include counter-drone systems, air-defence measures and cyber-security teams.
The security plan is expected to affect movement across several important road corridors. Traffic will be controlled at different times on the Ring Road, Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg, Tilak Marg, the India Gate and C-Hexagon area, Sardar Patel Marg, Patel Road, National Highway 48 and Parade Road, among other routes.
The restrictions will particularly affect the area around Bharat Mandapam and Pragati Maidan, as well as major roads linking central Delhi with other parts of the city. Delhi Police said the controls would remain in place until 9.30 pm on Saturday. Route changes may be introduced in central Delhi and nearby areas depending on VIP movements and the security situation.
For commuters, the measures mean that journey times on roads leading towards the summit venue and the participating delegates’ hotels could vary during the day. Police have advised people to plan journeys in advance and use the Delhi Metro wherever possible to avoid delays caused by traffic restrictions and VIP movement.
Drivers have also been asked to follow designated alternative routes and comply with instructions from traffic personnel deployed along affected corridors. The advisory places the immediate burden of managing summit-related disruption on road users, while the scale of the restrictions reflects the concentration of diplomatic, security and mobility operations around a single central Delhi venue.
The next operational milestone is the implementation of the traffic controls and security arrangements during the summit schedule on Saturday. Delhi Police’s route directions and on-ground instructions will determine movement around Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan and the connected arterial roads.
