The capital is in a flurry of preparations for the upcoming G20 Summit, which will be held at the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan on September 9 and 10. This will be the first-ever G20 summit held in India and South Asia, and for that, a number of restrictions have been put in place. If you live in Delhi or are travelling to the city around the specific dates, you might need to be informed about the regulations so your travel experience remains smooth.
During the upcoming summit next month, Lutyens' Delhi is set to be off-limits for unauthorised individuals for a span of three days. Authorities have put forth a range of restrictions affecting vehicular movement in the New Delhi district, areas around Rajghat, and the defined zone along the Ring Road. These measures will be in effect from midnight on September 8 to 11.59 pm on September 10, coinciding with the summit's main event on September 9 and 10.
The summit is expected to draw 29 heads of states, along with EU officials, invited guest countries, and representatives from 14 international organisations. While ambulances will have access, residents and tourists must provide proper identification for movement. Metro rail service remains operational, but some stations, like the Supreme Court Metro Station, will have restrictions. Taxis will be prohibited except for residents and tourists with valid hotel bookings backed by relevant documentation. Additionally, inter-state buses will be allowed to enter Delhi but will not be allowed to terminate at the Inter-state Bus Terminals.
According to the advisory, the entire area of the New Delhi district will be considered as "Controlled Zone-I" from 5 am on September 8 till 11:59 pm on September 10.
On September 10, from 12 noon to 2 pm, approximately 16 roads and junctions in Delhi will be designated as "Controlled Zone II." These roads and junctions include W-Point, A-Point, DDU Marg, Vikas Marg (up to Noida Link Road-Pusta Road), Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Delhi Gate, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg (from Rajghat to Guru Nanak Chowk), Chaman Lal Marg (from Guru Nanak Chowk to Turkman Gate), Asaf Ali Road (from Turkman Gate to BSZ Marg), Maharaja Ranjit Singh Marg (from Barakhamba–Tolstoy crossing to Guru Nanak Chowk on Chaman Lal Marg), Mahatma Gandhi Marg (from Delhi-Meerut Expressway T-Point to Kashmere Gate), IP Flyover, Shanti Van Chowk, Hanuman Setu, ISBT Kashmere Gate, and Salimgarh Bypass.
Additionally, there will be restricted access during this time. New Delhi Railway Station will have limited access from Ajmeri Gate side, Old Delhi Railway Station from Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) Roadside, Shanti Van Chowk from Geeta Colony side, ITO from Vikas Marg side, Rajghat Chowk from Jawahar Lal Nehru (JLN) Marg side, and Guru Nanak Chowk from Minto Road side. These measures aim to manage traffic and ensure smoother movement in the specified areas during the designated time frame.
The advised route for road travellers from Gurgaon to Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3 is NH-48 - Rao Gajraj Singh Marg - Old Delhi Gurugram Road - UER II - Service Road NH-48 - T3 Terminal Road. Expect potential delays due to traffic rules. Consider utilising the Airport Express Line (Orange Line) metro service for quicker travel between New Delhi Station, Dwarka Sector 21 Station, and IGI Airport T3.
Parking slots for up to 55 VVIP planes will be made available at the Delhi airport, and four nearby airports, including Jaipur, Indore, Lucknow and Amritsar, have been identified in case there is a need for additional parking slots during the G20 summit.
To ensure the safety of participants, the G20 Summit will be supported by 80 medical teams and 130 ambulances. Government hospitals are fully prepared with 80 units of doctors and advanced ambulances. Private hospitals are also on standby. Additionally, 66 fire tenders stationed at Pragati Maidan and hotels will be ready to respond to emergencies. For the Summit venue and hotels, 23 fire tenders are designated. Overall, robust medical and fire emergency plans are in place to guarantee the well-being of attendees.
(With inputs from PTI)
