UP Investor’s Summit: Killer drones to guard Lucknow skyline

Killer drones, which can neutralize suspicious drones and objects, will guard the city skyline during the Investors’ Summit -2018 on February 21 and 22, a state government official said.

Authorities have decided to deploy killer drones in view of fears that hostile elements might target the summit venue. Surveillance drones will scan the movement of people and traffic on the ground, said principal secretary, home, Arvind Kumar.

Besides, roads leading to the venue will be under the surveillance of CCTVs and Anti-Terrorist Squad commandoes. “Disaster management and evacuation teams will be deployed at various points in the city,” he said.

With just a week to go for the summit, the state home department has completed preparation for security and traffic management for the hassle-free movement of VVIPs, including industrialists, investors, foreign ministers, ambassadors, bureaucrats and other dignitaries.

Kumar said 517 CCTV cameras are being installed at the venue, roads and crossings in the city to monitor the movement of traffic. “The urban development department has an agreement with Reliance Jio regarding installation of CCTVs on its 200 towers. Traffic signals are being installed at 55 crossings in the city. Lucknow Metro is also installing traffic signals at various crossings on Kanpur Road,” he said.

The state government has replaced 2,153 old four-wheelers and two-wheelers with new vehicles for the movement of policemen deployed for the security and escorting the dignitaries. The Anti-Terrorist Squad and Special Task Force personnel have also been given new vehicles for quick movement. “The state government has released Rs 61 crore for the purchase of the new vehicles,” Kumar said.

Another Rs 24 crore has been released from the road security fund for the purchase of breath analyzer, body radar, speed radar, fluorescent jackets and other gadgets required for security and smooth movement of traffic, he said.

New cranes are being purchased to tow away vehicles parked in no-parking zones. Fund has been also released for publicity of the road security measures, training of staff and maintenance of equipment as well, he said.

The vehicles of the dignitaries will be parked at the railway yard of Gomti Nagar Railway station, DLF parking, Bank of India parking and other parking areas near the venue, Kumar said adding that the state government has hired 40 Mercedes buses to transport the participants from the parking area to the venue. At the venue, golf carts will take the dignitaries to the halls.

The state police have completed fire service and electricity drill of 38 hotels where the participants will be staying. The audit of employees working in the hotels has also been done, Kumar said. Intelligence sleuths will be on alert during the summit to give information and inputs to the police, Kumar said.

The state government has adopted the security model of ‘Vibrant Gujarat Summit’ for the summit in Lucknow, the principal secretary said.

A high-level team, including senior home and police department officers had visited Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat to study the security arrangements during the ‘Vibrant Gujarat Summit’ and submitted its report.

Meanwhile city hospitals have been put on alert and the state government has marked some of the hospitals as referral hospitals. Specialist doctors posted in government hospitals in other districts have been attached to city hospitals for the event duration, Kumar said and added that emergency life service ambulances with doctors and para medical staff will be parked near the summit venue and hotels.