MARGAO: Rehearsals of the Carcades and convoys of the 11 heads of the nations of BRICS continued on Wednesday till late evening. There was huge police and guards deployment at all the major intersections of the stretch right from Titan Junction in Verna till the Summit Venue in Mobor. While the rehearsals continued with high-speed vehicles zooming pass by the route, the traffic at the intersections and crossings came to a halt. Several public transport and the vehicles were made to stop for 5 to 7 minutes and later released.
The police personnel deployed here, meanwhile, said that this activity has started early during the day and continued till evening. The Superintendent of Police Shekhar Prabhudessai, at a press briefing, informed “This is a proper rehearsal of the vehicles on a route studied and finalised by the Goa Police and all the problems and hindrances have already been taken care of.”
According to police there will be 11 carcades of the heads of the nations where in the carcade of the Prime Minister of India itself will have over 50 cars plus ambulance and other teams. Police have also informed that the 42-km route from the Dabolim Airport to the Summit venue has been planned to be covered in flat 20 minutes by each carcade.
The police and security heads of BRICS had also considered the air route to the venue with chopper. “The plan to have a helipad at Mobor in the defence land was also considered for to and fro transport of the heads of nations. However, it was later found to be not feasible,” said SP South Prabhudessai.
Paramilitary forces: Over 10 companies of Paramilitary forces and 6,000 Goa police personnel are on the job to make the Summit organisation a success.
The Superintendent of Police Shekhar Prabhudessai has informed that the entire police force of Goa, which is 6000 in number, has been employed for various arrangements including traffic and security. This arrangement will be mainly around the partner hotels and the Summit hotel. Most of the force will also be employed at the entire main and the contingency routes to the venue from the Airport to the summit hotel. In addition to that, 10 companies of para military forces have already been roped in.
In addition to that the National Security Guard commandos have already done several mock drills all over the venues and the coast. The NSG, which has the prime responsibility of keeping a complete eye on security and threats in the entire designated areas, has surveyed the areas and suggested for the changes. A large platoon of 190 NSG commandos has been in Margao since several days.
The vehicles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have arrived at Margao and have been stationed at the Margao Police station in full protection. Sophisticated vehicles of signal jamming and anti infiltration have reached in Goa and have now been stationed at the BRICS Summit Venue. In addition to that the military gunships have also reached the state on Sunday and have been stationed at the venue.
The Cyber cell and wireless unit at the South Goa Head Quarters has also been working day in and day out for information flow to all the related security agencies. Hundreds of vehicles of bomb disposal squads and dog squads have also been conducting rehearsals at Summit venues hotels to ensure all the security is in place. The police have advised all the people living and commuting around the routes of Carcades not to park their vehicles on these routes. The police have also got nearly 18 towing vehicles to clear the vehicles parked on these routes.
