The National Capital Region has been turned into a fortress with elaborate security arrangements already been made for the big event and thirty face-recognition cameras will be installed at the venue of Republic Day celebrations in Delhi that will help officers identify terrorists and criminal elements, the Delhi Police said.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the chief guest at the 70th Republic Day celebrations in Delhi. Mr Ramaphosa was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the two leaders met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires.
Over 25,000 security personnel have been deployed for the event from Delhi Police, central armed forces and other agencies. All metro stations in the radius of one kilometre will be shut down on the morning of January 26.
For the full dress rehearsal of January 23, a press release by the Joint Commissioner of Police says every road that needs to be avoided for the daily commuter in Delhi. Here are various details of the traffic conditions for the rehearsal day:
Route of the parade:
Vijay Chowk - Rajpath -'C'-Hexagon Outer Road upto Tilak Marg - Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg - Netaji Subhash Marg - Red Fort.
Traffic restrictions:
In order to facilitate smooth passage of the Parade, movement of traffic on certain roads leading to the route of the Parade will be restricted as under:
No traffic on Rajpath from Vijay Chowk to India Gate from 06.00 PM on 22.01.2019 till Parade is over. No cross traffic on Rajpath from 11.00 PM on 22.01.2019 at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road till Parade is over.
'C'-Hexagon-India Gate will be closed for traffic from 09.00 AM on 23.01.2019 till Parade crosses Tilak Marg.
From 10.00 AM on 23.01.2019 Traffic on Tilak Marg, BSZ Marg and Subhash Marg will not be allowed on both directions. Cross Traffic will only be allowed depending upon the movement of the Parade.
Road users are requested to plan their journey in advance accordingly and avoid the route of Parade, from 0900 hours to 1230 hours, for their own convenience.
Suggested routes
However, if the journey is unavoidable, the road users are advised to take following routes:
North-South corridor
Ring Road - Ashram Chowk - Sarai Kale Khan - I.P. Flyover - Rajghat - Ring Road
From Madarsa - Lodhi Road 'T' point - Aurobindo Marg - AIIMS Chowk -Ring Road - Dhaula Kuan - Vande Matram Marg - Shankar Road - Park Street or Mandir Marg.
East-West corridor
Ring Road - Bhairon Road - Mathura Road - Lodhi Road - Aurobindo Marg - AIIMS Chowk - Ring Road - Dhaula Kuan - Vande Matram Marg - Shankar Road - Park Street or Mandir Marg.
Ring Road- Boulevard Road- Barf Khana Chowk - Rani Jhansi Flyover- Faiz Road - Vande Matram Marg - R/A Shankar Road.
Ring Road - ISBT - Chnadgi Ram Akhara - I.P College - Mall Road - Azadpur - Punjabi Bagh.
For New Delhi railway station
From South Delhi:- Dhaula Kuan - Vande Matram Marg - Panchkuian Road -Outer Circle Connaught Place - Chelmsford Road for Paharganj side or Minto Road- Bhavbhuti Marg for Ajmeri Gate side.
From East Delhi:- Boulevard Road via ISBT Bridge - Rani Jhansi Flyover - R/A Jhandewalan - D.B. Gupta Road- Sheela Cinema Road- Paharganj Bridge and reach New Delhi Rly Station.
For Old Delhi railway station
From South Delhi:- Ring Road - Ashram Chowk - Sarai Kale Khan - Ring Road - Rajghat - Ring Road - Chowk Yamuna Bazar - S.P. Mukherjee Marg - Chhatta Rail - Kauria Bridge and reach Old Delhi Rly. Station.
Though there will be no restriction for people from North Delhi going towards New Delhi Railway Station or Old Delhi Railway Station yet it is advised that they plan their journey in advance and take sufficient extra time to reach their destination to avoid possible delay.