Special forces, armored cars, “monkey men” recruited to keep away the macaques which proliferate in the Indian capital… Such is the important system deployed in New Delhi which is hosting the G20 summit on Saturday and Sunday.
Photos of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, beaming, already line the streets of New Delhi, where the leaders of the twenty most powerful countries in the world will land on September 9 and 10.
With the approach of the general elections in India next year, Mr. Modi took advantage of the presidency of the G20 to restore his image internationally and affirm India’s place in the world.
The South Asian country overtook the United Kingdom to become the world’s fifth-largest economy last year and recently overtook China to become the world’s most populous nation.
Here is the device planned by the Indian authorities to host the G20 summit.
The security system includes tens of thousands of security agents, including snipers positioned on the roofs of the capital. New Delhi has also equipped itself with anti-drone technology.
India’s counter-terrorism forces, also known as the “Black Cats”, have been training in rapid helicopter interventions, rappelling from the rooftops of hotels where G20 leaders will be staying.
The police promised “elaborate regulations” on traffic. A large area of ??the city center will notably be closed to cars, and only armored limousines will transport the leaders during the summit.
Businesses in the city have been ordered to close. A public holiday has also been declared, thus plunging this usually crowded and noise-ridden city into a moment of silence.
The summit will take place at the Bharat Mandapam, a newly refurbished conference center near Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, the Raj Ghat, where G20 leaders are expected to plant trees.
The authorities of this ultra-polluted megalopolis of some 30 million inhabitants have destroyed the illegal slums built in the area and redeveloped the main arteries of the city.
According to local authorities, more than 4,000 homeless people living under bridges and along roadsides in the city center were transferred to “welcome shelters” before the summit.
Fountains have also been brought back into use, while road markings that had faded years ago have been given a fresh coat of paint.
Some 70,000 flowerpots were also distributed throughout the city. According to the Times of India, 35 water trucks were deployed to water the plants.
Several statues have been erected, including one 8.5 meters high bearing the image of the Hindu god Shiva, positioned at the entrance to the G20 site.
Around thirty “monkey men” were deployed in New Delhi to frighten the rhesus macaques which proliferate there and prevent them from disrupting the summit.
Their mission? Imitate the cries of langur monkeys, natural enemies of the rhesus macaques who have invaded the Indian capital, to keep the primates away from the floral decorations that adorn the city.
Life-size langur silhouettes have also been installed on the streets of New Delhi to scare away the primates.
However, the authorities have interrupted a vast operation to reduce the number of stray dogs, launched in the run-up to the G20, which angered New Delhi residents and animal rights activists.
With the capital also plagued by dengue and malaria, eight teams with insecticide sprays are currently treating mosquito breeding areas at the G20 venue, the Hindustan Times reported.
09/06/2023 05:57:54 – New Delhi (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
