Home / ANALYSIS / Back of House / CWG - Securing the zone

All the gadgetry notwithstanding, it all comes down to the trained human eye eventually.

A key question - can New Delhi host the Commonwealth Games without the world and its brother having to worry about security issues? Bindu Gopal Rao attempts to find out.

Four countries - the USA, UK, Australia and Canada - have issued travel advisories for India. Tennis Australia claims that the security plan for this October’s Commonwealth Games (CWG) in New Delhi was stolen last year, leading to its decision to pull out of the Davis Cup tie against India.

Al Qaeda’s Pakistan arm has threatened attacks particularly targeting international sports events like the CWG. In light of all this, how safe are the powers-that-be making Delhi for the CWG?

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As per the ‘Host City Agreement’, all venues associated with the CWG 2010 are to be provided with specified facilities, including security. Firms from the US, UK and other countries are offering the latest gadgets and services to ensure foolproof security for the mega event.

The Delhi Police has already carried out a survey of some of the hotels and advised them to upgrade their security infrastructure during the Games; advisory to the balance hotels is under way.

“Besides these, the Delhi Police will augment the security infrastructure at the respective hotels by deploying an adequate number of personnel in and around the hotel and nearby locations.” says Dr Lalit Bhanot, secretary general, OC CWG 2010 Delhi.

All eyes are on new hotels that hope to open in time for the CWG, as it is thought that these properties will spare no expense in getting the latest gadgets in place to ensure optimum security.

Says Liam Lambert, president, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts: “We’re hoping to have the hotel in time for the CWG. We do have complex security measures in place – you must trust that we will have as many CCTV cameras as we can place. The hotel will be as secure as the authorities would like, as well as satisfy our own internal security audits.”

However, it would be a futile measure if only hotels were to gear up for the Games; it is the city of Delhi that needs to be in a state of preparedness.

Says Rajiv Kaul, president, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts: “The Leela Palace New Delhi is located in the capital’s diplomatic enclave and shall be a preferred choice for visiting Heads of State. Keeping this in mind, the hotel’s facilities and services have been carefully planned to observe the highest security standards - as per guidelines received from MEA and overseas security agencies. As for CWG, we need to secure the entire city and not just the hotels where the delegates are staying.”

Security teams are expected to play a major role, as it is the trained human eye and experience that go a ling way in determining anything out of the ordinary.

“Gadgets do the rest; for example, while opening the doors and the dickey, the weight of the door can also give a hint of any added weight. Vapour guns can be used to detect static and this is a better way for checking the vehicle in a running condition - the engine heat and burnt gases also give various fumes,” says Amar Sukhi, managing director, SPS.

At the Imperial Hotel, Delhi, an initiative called the Imperial Rapid Action Force (IRAF) is in place. Says Vijay Wanchoo, senior VP and GM of The Imperial: “We have taken up the initiative of IRAF, keeping in mind recent terror activities like 26/11. Around 80-employees are being trained to combat terror attacks and bomb scares. This force is not like a group of commandos - at best it will be a minimum level of deterrence. The Imperial has an emergency response team like other hotels, but a need was felt for a more specialised team.”