Kolkata: A comprehensive security arrangement involving approximately 4,000 police personnel, drones, vehicle-mounted surveillance equipment, and additional CCTV cameras is being implemented across Red Road and the adjacent Maidan area in central Kolkata for International Yoga Day celebrations. The event, scheduled for Sunday, will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and numerous other dignitaries.
Another 4,000 police officers will secure the peripheral zones stretching from Kidderpore to Nandan. Senior officials at Lalbazar are holding high-level meetings with central security agencies to finalize a robust security plan for the large gathering, according to police sources.
To ensure smooth crowd management and strict surveillance, the event area has been divided into 30 core sectors, each directly overseen by a senior police officer of deputy commissioner or assistant commissioner rank. The state police noted that Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel may be deployed if needed. The venue will undergo rigorous technical surveillance, with entry points fortified by door-frame metal detectors and handheld scanners.
A week-long traffic lockdown around the Maidan hub has been enforced. According to a Kolkata Police headquarters notification, Red Road has been closed to vehicular movement since 10 PM on June 14 and will remain inaccessible until the event concludes on Sunday. Security cordon and traffic restrictions will peak around 2 AM on June 21. During this period, Guru Nanak Sarani (Mayo Road) will be shut to regular traffic, allowing only vehicles with official event stickers.
A security perimeter will seal off major arterial roads, including Hospital Road, Lovers’ Lane, Casuarina Avenue, Queensway, Dufferin Road, Outram Road, Plassey Gate Road, Gostha Pal Sarani (Kingsway), the Esplanade Ramp, and Kidderpore Road. To mitigate commuter disruption, traffic police have activated a comprehensive diversion plan:
- North-bound vehicles from J&N Island are rerouted via Outram Road and JL Nehru Road.
- Howrah-bound buses from Zeerat Bridge are diverted via Belvedere Road, AJC Bose Road, and Strand Road.
- South-bound cars are redirected from the Red Road-Mayo Road intersection onto alternative routes.
