12 Kolkata: The city will be wrapped in a security blanket during the Republic Day celebrations on Sunday, marking one of the highest deployments since Durga Puja — even higher than Christmas. With the situation at the border still volatile and after the arrest of a number of youths in Bengal and Assam with terror links to Bangladesh, Lalbazar has asked every senior officer to hit the road on R-Day. The city's heart witnessed drone vigilance from Jan 25.
The city police has prepared a specific security blueprint, focusing especially on Red Road, where the main function, to be attended by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, will be held on Sunday morning. The area saw multiple security checks, not just by the bomb squad and sniffer dogs but even the forest department, which searched for snakes and poisonous insects around Maidan. The police have divided the zone into 11-12 zones, with one DCP in charge of each zone.
Around 2,300 personnel, 40 special squads in the form of quick reaction teams, HRFS, RFS, and PCRs will be present at the Red Road venue. Another 2,700 cops will patrol central Kolkata and the entry/exit points of the city, along with vital installations and crossings. The Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner's office will get additional security cover along with a few other similar buildings.
Eleven watch towers and five sand bunkers have been put up. Though there is no specific intelligence input, it is stated that they are keeping specific checks at all entrances to the city. All roads leading to the centre of the city will be sanitised. A temporary command centre is also operating at Red Road, said cops, adding that the area has been shut for this purpose from as early as 10 pm on Tuesday.
The cops will use multiple drones and are carrying out all-night special checks on vehicles across the city. "We collated all the inputs and carried out intensive night checks, checking over 400 vehicles each night," said an officer.
Kolkata: The city will be wrapped in a security blanket during the Republic Day celebrations on Sunday, marking one of the highest deployments since Durga Puja — even higher than Christmas. With the situation at the border still volatile and after the arrest of a number of youths in Bengal and Assam with terror links to Bangladesh, Lalbazar has asked every senior officer to hit the road on R-Day. The city's heart witnessed drone vigilance from Jan 25.
The city police has prepared a specific security blueprint, focusing especially on Red Road, where the main function, to be attended by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, will be held on Sunday morning. The area saw multiple security checks, not just by the bomb squad and sniffer dogs but even the forest department, which searched for snakes and poisonous insects around Maidan. The police have divided the zone into 11-12 zones, with one DCP in charge of each zone.
Around 2,300 personnel, 40 special squads in the form of quick reaction teams, HRFS, RFS, and PCRs will be present at the Red Road venue. Another 2,700 cops will patrol central Kolkata and the entry/exit points of the city, along with vital installations and crossings. The Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner's office will get additional security cover along with a few other similar buildings.
Eleven watch towers and five sand bunkers have been put up. Though there is no specific intelligence input, it is stated that they are keeping specific checks at all entrances to the city. All roads leading to the centre of the city will be sanitised. A temporary command centre is also operating at Red Road, said cops, adding that the area has been shut for this purpose from as early as 10 pm on Tuesday.
The cops will use multiple drones and are carrying out all-night special checks on vehicles across the city. "We collated all the inputs and carried out intensive night checks, checking over 400 vehicles each night," said an officer.