Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, the Red Fort has been placed under multiple layers of security cover, and the Delhi Police are using advanced technologies, including the Abhigyan app and facial recognition system (FRS) vans, to identify suspicious persons in the crowd, an official said on Sunday.
He further said: In the midst of intelligence inputs, security arrangements have been strengthened. Around 15,000-20,000 Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel will be deployed for the August 15 celebrations.
About 25,000 people, including VIPs and VVIPs, are expected to attend this event in Chengottai. As part of enhanced security arrangements, the Abhigyan app is being used extensively for the first time to screen people in the crowd.
This app has a database of more than one crore criminals, and police are collecting the fingerprints of randomly selected individuals using handheld devices.
Fingerprints are checked against the database within seconds. A red code indicates that a person has a criminal record matching the details shown on the screen, while a green code indicates that no criminal record has been found.
Nearly 1,000 CCTV cameras, including cameras enabled with facial recognition systems, have been installed to monitor the Red Fort and its surrounding areas. A high-tech CCTV control room has been set up inside the Red Fort, where police and technical teams are monitoring the area 24 hours a day.
A surveillance network has been deployed several kilometers outside the Red Fort. Snipers are stationed at strategic locations, including elevated platforms, while anti-drone systems have been used to prevent any unauthorized aerial activity. FRS vans have also been stationed in the area.
These vans, equipped with high-resolution cameras, scan the faces in the crowd and match them against available databases.
If a wanted or suspicious person is identified, the system generates an alert and sends information to the control room for immediate verification and necessary action.
A senior officer from the North District Computer Unit said that using Abhigyan and FRS technology helps the police identify suspicious persons in crowded areas. ‘The Abhigyan app and FRS technology significantly help us identify suspicious persons in a crowd.
As a result, security has been strengthened. These arrangements are being made under the Home Ministry’s Smart Policing initiative to ensure a safe and peaceful Independence Day celebration.
This year’s Red Fort theme is “Vande Mataram.” As part of the security restrictions, flying kites around the monument has been prohibited on August 15.
The combination of CCTV surveillance, facial recognition, fingerprint verification, anti-drone systems, snipers, and the large deployment of security personnel is aimed at ensuring that no suspicious activity goes undetected during the high-level national event, the official said.
