G20 Summit: Nearly 700 CCTV cameras acted as eyes of Delhi Police women personnel to ensure security

By Ravi Jalhotra
New Delhi [India], September 10 : As the G20 Summit under India's Presidency in the national capital concluded on Sunday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the gavel to Brazil, it is interesting to learn about the security arrangements at the convention centre where the global leaders held meetings for two days. 

The Bharat Mandapam, where leaders from across the globe gathered under one roof to attend the G20 meeting, was secured by around 700 CCTV cameras, keeping an eye on the nook and corner of the venue. 
A control room was set up at the venue that was entirely managed by women personnel of Delhi Police under the supervision of a Deputy Commissioner of Police rank officer.

While speaking to ANI, Pratiksha Godara, DCP Special Cell and incharge of the integrated CCTV room said, "There were around 700 CCTV cameras in the CCTV control room that are providing a live feed to keep watch on any suspicious activity."
These CCTVs kept an eye on the entire venue including the entire ITPO and peripheral roads.
"We have trained young recruits for the job as it required to watch screen with alertness during their duty hours. Their shifts get rotated in every two hours to give rest to their eyes," DCP Special Cell Pratiksha Godara added.
For the women personnel, watching CCTV footage was one part of surveillance and responding to the message passed by the operator was another.
"We have created a proper communication channel that includes live monitoring and response. As per our SOP, police personnel have to reach to the location identified by the CCTV operator within a minute," Pratiksha Godara told to ANI. 

For efficient working, all 58 Delhi Police women personnel were divided into three groups two keeping watch on three screens. A communication team of five girls in one shift was also constituted. 
They passed on the message to the police personnel on the ground by identifying the location and camera number.
"We have a foolproof internal communication system in place to pass on the message and swiftly take action in case of any suspicion," the officer said.
For better clarity, high-definition cameras have been installed that also have the feature of night vision to ensure clear pictures.
"We have done several drills and checks to rule out any possibility of hacking as all the cameras are connected through the internet. The network we are using is secure," the officer added.
The cameras installed in Mandapam have been installed in the last 10 days, but the staff has been trained for the last month, the officer said.
The leaders, who were at the G20 venue, included German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the conclusion of the G20 Summit in New Delhi and proposed to hold a virtual G20 session in November to review the suggestions and proposals made at the premier forum for international economic cooperation.