A massive 7,500-strong police force will be on security duty for the upcoming India-Pakistan match on December 30. The ODI match, which is to take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk, will have police personnel guarding the outer area and the inner area, apart from the galleries.
Two additional commissioners of police will lead the contingents. In total, security has been divided into three segments — at the airport when the players arrive and depart, their place of stay and the match venue.
At the stadium alone, 218 CCTV cameras will be installed and every two galleries will have a surveillance room comprising 25 police personnel, who will also monitor the stadium on the huge screens put up there.
Vehicles fitted with speed dome cameras will monitor movement of people outside the galleries and visitors will be frisked at entry points.
Simultaneously, surveillance will be done in the city, more specifically in the areas around the stadium.
Police said about 500 Pakistanis were expected to arrive in the city to watch the match and that they would be advised to inform the police of their itinerary and stick to it, failing which they would be spot-fined. “In Mumbai, about 36 out of 500 went missing when they came to watch a match,” a police official said.
Quick Reaction Teams and commando forces will also be on alert as it is feared that the high-profile match could invite any untoward incident. In addition, 15 battalions, along with the city police teams, will be deployed.
Separate police security will be provided at the airport when the players arrive on December 29 and depart on December 31.
Already seven Pakistan players had arrived on Wednesday night.
Apart from the security at the players’ place of stay, the usual armed escorts and pilots will accompany the players wherever they go.
Police said that they were waiting for the list of VIPs from Pakistan coming for the match and added that they would be given protection on a par with what they were being provided in their country. On Wednesday, BCCI chief L Srinivasan met the City Police Commissioner to discuss security arrangements.