New Delhi: India is bracing up to host the G20 summit and leaving no stone unturned to make it a successful global meeting whose main event is scheduled on September 9 and September 10 this year. The venue will be the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam convention centre at Pragati Maidan in Delhi.
It should be noted that the upcoming event will be the climax of all the G20 processes and meetings that have been held throughout the year. It will be the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit.
The nation will host 29 heads of state along with high-ranking officials of the European Union (EU), as well as 14 heads of international organisations. The summit will also be having other invited guest countries.
Meanwhile, the national capital is going through makeovers and mock drills to ensure that everything will be in its place when the guests arrive.
Here are the preparations that Delhi has done so far to be a perfect host:
- US President Joe Biden and his entourage will stay in ITC Maurya, and at least 400 rooms have been booked for them, reported media outlets. This is the same hotel that had hosted US Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama in the past.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping will also be coming down to Delhi to attend the summit, and the government has decided that he should be staying at Delhi’s Taj Hotel.
- Indian-origin UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, along with a delegation from Germany, will stay in Hotel Shangri-La premises.
- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced the shutdown of all private schools and Delhi government offices from September 8 to 10. Even banks and commercial establishments will remain shut during this period in the Union Territory.
- The Delhi Police have been conducting mock drills in the area to ensure security and avoid any security threat. On August 21, one such drill was held on roads connecting Pragati Maidan.
- In special training, the police are coaching their staff to deal with chemical and biological weapons and to focus on their soft skills.
- Not just Delhi, but UP’s Noida, which comes in Delhi-NCR, has also had a facelift as India’s guests may visit several industrialists here. The entrance of Noida that links to Delhi has been given a new makeover with greenery, new lights, and other things for its beautification.
- Also, UP Police has urged people to remove religion-based stickers from cars as a part of the G20 summit. More than 1000 vehicles have received challans.
