Noida pulls up its socks for F1 race

The multilayer security for the race will be jointly managed by foreign security agencies, UP Police, Delhi Police, organisers, and former SPG and NSG commandos

Come October 28 and Noida police, generally known for their complacent and lackadaisical attitude towards crime, will have a sleepless night. The security, which would be jointly managed by foreign security agencies, UP Police, Delhi Police and the organisers, would be multilayer and ex-SPG and NSG commandos have been roped in for the task.


Vroom! Around 1.5 lakh visitors are expected to reach for the mega
event. About 50,000 would be foreigners. File pic

While a three-layer security arrangement will be in place at the Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort, where the members of the 12 teams and FIA officials are expected to stay, security for VIPs and VVIPs will be five-layered. The outer cordon will consist of highly experienced ex-servicemen at all entry points. The inner cordon will have security personnel guarding the guest entry areas and movement in the lobby, porch and restaurant. The isolation cordon will have ex-SPG and NSG commandos with light arms in the guest areas, especially around the rooms.

During the event, more than 50 helicopters are expected to land up in the satellite town. Though the exact place of landing is still not decided, a source from the Noida police said that it may be done at Sector 128 in Noida. "There would be Bollywood actors, politicians, foreign ambassadors and business tycoons hiring private choppers to come. To provide them security, we have written to the higher officials for anti-aircraft guns. They will be deployed at the landing and racing area," the official added.

All personnel would be deployed 10 days before the event starts and over 300 members from 12 different teams will provide the security. The entire property will be under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance. A bomb disposal squad, dog squad, fire fighting team and crowd control team would be posted within the premises.

Gautam Budh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police, Jyoti Narayan, said, "Recently, a meeting was held to work out the security set-up during the gala event. The security for this event will be better than the ommonwealth Games. As many as 1,600 policemen, including 200 traffic cops, will be deployed, apart from five companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary. The security layers will start from the Delhi-Noida border and stretch to Dankaur, the venue."

To counter a terrorist attack, a quick reaction team (QRT) consisting of armed personnel with long and short-range weapons would be available round-the-clock. In addition, there will be a dedicated, well-guarded parking in the basement. Thorough scanning and frisking would be done with the help of baggage scanners, door-frame and hand-held metal detectors.

Around 1.5 lakh visitors are expected to reach for the mega event. About 50,000 would be foreigners. "All hotels in Noida and Greater Noida will be issued strict guidelines to adhere to. Also, we have in mind the warnings given by farmers to disrupt the race if their demands are not met. Local intelligence unit has been asked to closely monitor the movement of farmers," added Narayan.

Angry over the way in which their land was acquired for the new track, farmers on Tuesday had threatened to disrupt the race. They say they have not been adequately compensated for the land that was given to organisers to build the $350-million circuit in Greater Noida.

For a smoother ride to venue, the authority is also in the process of inviting tenders for resurfacing of Noida-Greater Noida expressway. Also parks and gardens in and around the venue are being beautified. The much-talked about Ambedkar Park is set for inauguration on October 14. The controversial park, commonly referred to as the Noida Park, will be inaugurated by UP chief minister Mayawati during her scheduled visit to the city.

Pricey affair
The Rs 2,500 tickets are for the natural stand, which can accommodate 6,500 fans. Then comes the picnic stand for which 8,000 fans will have to spend Rs 6,000 each. For the 36,838-seater classic stand, the tickets are priced at Rs 6,500. The two most expensive tickets for the race are for the premium stand and the main grand stand. While the price for a premium stand ticket is Rs 12,500 for 10,230 seats, it's a whopping Rs 35,000 for the 20,156 grand stand seats. According to a presentation by the organisers, the Buddh International Circuit has been divided into five zones-North, South, East, West and Paddock-with each one having its own parking facility apart from having a common F1 village, 10 ATMs and 30 shuttle buses to ferry spectators. The organisers also said they have tied up with several radio taxi companies and have arranged for chartered buses for the convenience of the fans. There is provision for parking for as many as 17,000 cars. The tickets for the most stands are sold out.

Online buzz
Netizens from India are chasing the highly popular race at a fast pace. According to Google search, there is a significant increase from the month of August for the keywords 'F1' and 'Formula One'. The top regions searching for F1 are Karnataka, Haryana, Orissa and Tamil Nadu and top related search key words are India F1, F1 2011, F1 race and F1 tickets. Searches for 'F1 tickets' are soaring high since August, showing the craze among netizens to watch the race. The F1 race circuit has been built in Greater Noida and the top regions searching for 'F1 tickets' are the nearby states that include Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Micheal Schumacher, the most popular F1 racer, has maintained his popularity. The Google search, however, also witnessed a huge spike in searches for Lewis Hamilton-McLaren Mercedes team driver, leaving behind Schumacher and becoming the most searched F1 racing driver. As seen from the searches in the last three months, McLaren F1 car tops the chart for the most searched F1 cars leaving behind Ferrari and Mercedes.
There has also been a tremendous rise in searches for keyword 'F1 team' along with popular teams such as Vodafone McLaren and Red Bull Racing. Among all the F1 Teams, 'Force India' is being searched the most, thereby surpassing all other popular F1 teams.