NEW DELHI: Mission Kashmir is once again on the priority list of the Central government. Even as the threats from Pak-back terror groups mounting, the administration is leaving no stone unturned for a smooth conduct of G20 meetings, in Srinagar valley and ensuring pleasant shikara rides on Dal Lake for the visiting delegates.
With city beautification put on fast track and Kashmiri wazwan including tabak maaz, roghan josh, nadru yakhni, monge haak and goshtaba being added in the food menu for the grand G20 meet between May 22 and 24 at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre, security forces are busy conducting multiple recces, simulations and surveys in the valley to make water tight arrangements to thwart any attempts of terror attacks by Pak-backed operatives.
All forces in the valley have been working on a coordinated format and security grids are being discussed in detail on a regular basis with variations and alternate deployments plans to ensure a secure environment - for both public and visitors when the event takes place next week. Around 200 delegates, including 80 delegates from the G20 countries, are expected to attend the meeting in Srinagar.
According to sources, the agencies and forces are regularly conducting drills based on the comprehensive security grid that has been prepared. Procedures to plug defuse and neutralise all possible threats - including IEDs mounted on moving vehicles, suicide or fidayeen attacks, sticky bomb threat, drone attacks and grenade assaults - which have been part of the standard attack patterns of the terrorists in the Valley have been clearly spelt out. Counter strategies and responses have all been laid out in the standard procedures to be followed and deployed along with alternatives based on scenario mappings.
A high-level meeting was also conducted last week by the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla who reviewed security preparations for the G20 tourism meet, which was attended by the top officials of the IB, state police and the commanding officers of the CRPF and BSF.
According to sources the meeting also discussed the strategic positioning to the elite commandos from the Navy and the NSG who would be deployed around the water bodies along with snipers at key surveillance points in the city. “The sanitisation process of the key venues and locations of the spots and buildings associated with the event has already begun,” a senior official from the MHA said adding, “The locations are being closely monitored by drones and infra-red eyes.”
The Srinagar Airport has been upgraded with better arrangement and passenger handling provisions for the G20, a move that has also been done keeping the tourist season and the Amarnath Yatra in mind, sources in the G20 facilitation unit confirmed.
“Most importantly a security audit of the airport, its adjoining areas and the road that leads to the venue was conducted to ensure security arrangements to thwart any attempts by miscreants to disrupt normal life,” the source added.