White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions from reporters during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Rio de Janeiro:

Ukraine’s allies and Russia on Tuesday traded blame for a dramatic escalation in the war in Europe, which dominated the final day of talks at a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

The two-day gathering wrapped up with a plea from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for the world’s most powerful leaders to rescue stalled UN climate talks in Azerbaijan, calling it a matter of the planet’s “survival.”

Joe Biden, attending his last summit as US president before he hands power to Donald Trump — a noted climate skeptic — also appealed for urgent action.

“History is watching us,” he urged.

But Biden’s decision to suddenly reverse key US policy on Ukraine in his last weeks in office took away attention from Brazil’s anti-poverty, anti-emissions G20 agenda.

On the eve of the gathering, Biden gave Kyiv the green light to use US missiles to strike deep inside Russia for the first time, in apparent response to Moscow enlisting North Korean soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

‘Listen to reason’

The move prompted the Kremlin to announce it was loosening its rules on using nuclear weapons, causing alarm among Kyiv’s backers in Washington, European capitals and elsewhere.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was at the G20, declared that the United States and Russia were “on the brink of direct military conflict.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the “irresponsible rhetoric coming from Russia,” sentiments echoed by a spokesperson for the US National Security Council.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he had asked Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to “use all his influence” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to try to get him to “listen to reason.”

Xi, who has cast himself as a defender of the international order at the advent of a new Trump era, held back-to-back meetings with other leaders in Rio.

At each turn, the Chinese leader, who was received with greater fanfare than a lame-duck Biden, stressed that the world was facing a new period of “turbulence.”

China and Brazil this summer unveiled a plan to get Russia and Ukraine back to the negotiating table, but were rebuffed by Kyiv because Moscow was not required to pull back first.

The summit’s joint declaration made no mention of Russian aggression, saying only that the leaders welcomed “all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace” in Ukraine.

Taxing the uber-rich

President Lula used his summit hosting duties to rally support for a global campaign against hunger and try to spur on the stalled COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku.

“We cannot leave the task of Baku until Belem,” Lula said Tuesday, referring to the Amazonian city that will host next year’s UN climate talks.

But a G20 statement on the matter fell short of the shot in the arm sought by climate negotiators gathered in Azerbaijan.

While acknowledging the need for trillions of dollars in climate finance for poorer nations, the leaders failed to explicitly mention the need to transition away from fossil fuels.

Lula said that next year’s conference would be the “last chance” to avoid “irreversible” damage wrought by Earth’s warming.

Biden, who has been using a valedictory tour of South America to tout his climate legacy, told his G20 counterparts: “I urge us to keep the faith and keep going.”

“This is the single greatest existential threat to humanity.”

But in a symbol of the elderly leader’s imminent disappearance from the global stage, he missed out on the summit’s first group photo, his absence going unnoted by his peers.

Another photo was taken Tuesday that Biden featured in.

Lula, who handed over the G20 presidency to fellow Global South advocate South Africa, came away with wins on two pet projects.

The left-winger who grew up in poverty, got the leaders of 80 countries, including a reluctant Argentine President Javier Milei, to join an alliance to end world hunger.

And G20 members, at his urging, also agreed to cooperate to get the world’s billionaires to pay more in tax, a key demand of anti-poverty campaigners.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Rio de Janeiro:

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the relaunch of the stalled talks for a free trade agreement with India and said Britain will seek a “new strategic partnership”.

After his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Monday, Mr Starmer said, “A new trade deal with India will support jobs and prosperity in the UK – and represent a step forward in our mission to deliver growth and opportunity across our country”.

A statement from his office about their meeting said, “The UK will seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a trade agreement, as well as deepening co-operation in areas like security, education, technology, and climate change.

PM Modi in a post on X said, “For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK is of immense priority”. “In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as technology, green energy, security, innovation, and technology. We also want to add strength to trade as well as cultural linkages”, he added.

He called his meeting with Mr Starmer “extremely productive”. This was his first meeting with Mr Starmer, who was elected in July defeating Labour Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two leaders were confident their negotiators would forge a “balanced, mutually beneficial and forward looking Free Trade Agreement”. It said that India would be opening two new consulate generals – or deputy high commissions – in Belfast and Manchester to better serve the Indian diaspora.

MEA also mentioned that PM Modi raised the thorny issue of alleged economic offenders from India living in Britain whom New Delhi wants extradited. Foremost among those India is seeking is Vijay Mallaya, the one-time high-flying liquor and airline entrepreneur, who has avoided extradition for several years. Others include diamond merchant Nirav Modi and cricket administrator Lalit Modi.

After Brexit – Britain’s departure from the European Union – it has sought to broaden economic relations with India and other countries. British Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said, “Striking a deal (with India) is important to deliver this Government’s core mission of driving economic growth”.

Mr Starmer’s statement said, “The UK is committed to negotiating a trade deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world”. About the British priorities in a trade agreement, Reynolds mentioned “lowering Indian tariffs to help British firms export to this dynamic market”. “Boosting investment which already supports over 600,000 jobs across both countries”, is another, he said.

“India is the fifth largest economy in the world and a vital trading partner for the UK. We believe there is a good deal to be done here that works for both nations”, he added “A deal with India would boost the UK’s trading relationship, worth £42 billion ($53.22 billion) in the 12 months to June 2024”, the prime minister’s office said.

“UK exports to India are worth £16.6 billion($19.77 billion).”

Trade talks between India and Britain had dragged on for several years and were dropped in March.

Since then, the government in Britain has changed with the Conservatives yielding to Labour, and PM Modi winning an election for a third term. One of the issues in those negotiations was increasing visas for students and businesspeople from India.

For Britain, it was lowering duties on whiskey and automobiles, and easier access to Indian markets for its service sector.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Rio de Janeiro:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (local time) held a bilateral meeting with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil.

PM Modi stated that their discussions focused on strengthening ties in defence, security, trade, and technology. He remarked, “India-Italy friendship can greatly contribute to a better planet.”

“Glad to have met Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the Rio de Janeiro G20 Summit. Our talks centred around deepening ties in defence, security, trade, and technology. We also discussed ways to boost cooperation in culture, education, and other such areas. India-Italy friendship can greatly contribute to a better planet,” PM Modi shared on social media platform X.

Glad to have met Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the Rio de Janeiro G20 Summit. Our talks centred around deepening ties in defence, security, trade and technology. We also talked about how to boost cooperation in culture, education and other such areas.… pic.twitter.com/BOUbBMeEov

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 18, 2024

PM Modi also held a bilateral meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store during the 19th G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Earlier, PM Modi met with leaders from Indonesia and Portugal on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil.

In his discussions, PM Modi emphasised strengthening ties with both nations in areas such as commerce and defence.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, shared on X that PM Modi assured Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto of expanding the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

“India-Indonesia: Commemorating 75 years of warm and friendly ties! PM Narendra Modi met President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia on the sidelines of the G20 Brazil Summit. PM congratulated President Prabowo and assured him of expanding the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, both in existing domains and by exploring newer areas,” Jaiswal wrote on X.

????????-????????| Commemorating 75 years of warm and friendly ties!

PM @narendramodi met President Prabowo Subianto @prabowo of Indonesia on the sidelines of the #G20Brazil Summit.

PM congratulated President Prabowo and assured him of ????????’s full support.

Both leaders discussed ways to… pic.twitter.com/9aijc3Wa9P

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) November 18, 2024

Additionally, PM Modi met with Spanish President Pedro Sanchez on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

With Brazil preparing to host the Group of 20 summit, it appears unlikely the leading rich and developing nations will sign on to a meaningful declaration regarding geopolitics: The meeting on Monday (November 18, 2024) and Tuesday (November 19, 2024) in Rio de Janeiro is overshadowed by two major wars and Donald Trump’s recent election victory.

Heightened global tensions and uncertainty about an incoming Mr. Trump administration have tempered any expectations for a strongly worded statement addressing the conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine.

Experts instead anticipate a final document focused on social issues like the eradication of hunger – one of Brazil’s priorities – even if it aims to include at least a mention of the ongoing wars.

“Brazilian diplomacy has been strongly engaged in this task, but to expect a substantively strong and consensual declaration in a year like 2024 with two serious international conflicts is to set the bar very high,” said Cristiane Lucena Carneiro, an international relations professor at the University of Sao Paulo.

After Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvathwarted far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro’s re-election bid in 2022, there was some excitement in the international community at the prospect of the leftist leader and savvy diplomat – who Barack Obama once called “the most popular politician on Earth” – hosting the G20.

Mr. Bolsonaro had little personal interest in international summits, let foreign policy be guided by ideology and clashed with several leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron. Mr. Lula took office and often quoted a catchphrase: “Brazil is back.”

Brazil under Mr. Lula has reverted to its decades-old principle of non-alignment to carve out a policy that best safeguards its interests in an increasingly multipolar world. That involves talking to all parties, which experts say gave Brazil a privileged position to host a summit such as the G20.

But his administration’s foreign policy has at times raised eyebrows. A Brazil-China peace plan for Russia and Ukraine doesn’t call for Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine and has been slammed by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And Mr. Lula sparked a diplomatic incident with Israel after comparing its actions in Gaza to the Holocaust.

Donald Trump’s win in the U.S. presidential election earlier this month and the imminent return of an America First doctrine may also hamper the diplomatic spirit needed for broad agreement on divisive issues.

“If we have one certainty, it is regarding Donald Trump’s scepticism towards multilateralism,” Ms. Carneiro said.

Two officials from Brazil and one from another G20 nation say Argentine negotiators are standing in the way of a joint declaration. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Two of them said Argentina’s negotiators have raised several objections to the draft. They most vehemently oppose a clause calling for a global tax on the super-rich – which they had previously accepted, in July – and another promoting gender equality.

Ambassador Mauricio Lyrio, Brazil’s key negotiator at G20, told journalists on Nov. 8 that the leaders’ final declaration should address the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, but that diplomats were still discussing how to reach universally acceptable language.

“The main message, naturally, is that we need to achieve peace not only regarding these conflicts but all conflicts,” he said in the capital Brasilia, adding that Mr. Lula’s launch of a global alliance against hunger and poverty on Monday (November 18, 2024) is just as important as the final statement.

“The leaders’ declaration will be the crowning achievement. But, at the same time, as instructed by the president himself, we have a G20 focused on concrete actions, such as the launch of a Global Alliance Against Hunger, with a package of very concrete social programs and innovative mechanisms to meet the resources needed for implementing them.”

Mr. Lula, a former trade unionist who hails from a humble background, made the fight against hunger a priority during his first two terms as president (2003-2010) both at home and abroad. The number of undernourished Brazilians fell by more than 80% in 10 years, according to a 2014 U.N. report.

Mr. Lula’s hunger alliance is the only one of Brazil’s primary aims for a G20 declaration that will be obtained, according to Thomas Traumann, a former government minister and a political consultant based in Rio.

“Brazil wanted a global deal to fight poverty, a project to finance green transition and some consensus over a global tax for the super-rich. Only the first one has survived,” Mr. Traumann said.

President Joe Biden will attend the summit after a stop in Lima for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and then travel on to Manaus, a city in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. It will be the first time a sitting American president sets foot in the Amazon, and the trip’s objective is to highlight “commitment to environmental protection and respect for local cultures,” according to a Nov. 12 statement from the U.S. Embassy in Brazil.

White House officials insist that Mr. Biden’s visits to APEC and the G20 will be substantive, with talks on climate issues, global infrastructure, counternarcotic efforts and one-on-one meetings with global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. Those officials say Mr. Biden also will use the summits to press allies to keep up support for Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia’s invasion and not lose sight of finding an end to the wars in Lebanon and Gaza.

Any commitments Mr. Biden makes may be overturned by the next White House administration, according to Danielle Ayres, an international relations professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina.

“It would mean Mr. Trump would have to be proactive and say the U.S. is not going to do something to which it signed up for internationally,” Ms. Ayres said. “That has a cost. It generates insecurity, a bad perception on behalf of the international community towards Mr. Trump.”

Mr. Trump’s election may also cause other countries to look toward China as a more reliable partner. Xi Jinping’s inauguration of the Chancay mega port in Peru on Thursday was perhaps the clearest sign of Latin America’s reorientation.

A notable absentee at the G20 will be Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, against whom the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant that obliges member states to arrest him, and Russia’s delegation will be led by Sergey Lavrov. Israel is not a G20 member.

“The latest G20 meetings were somewhat depleted and became just another moment for bilateral meetings of heads of government. As Mr. Putin is out, Mr. Lula managed Ukraine not to be a topic, just as much as Israel. But Mr. Trump’s election takes from Mr. Lula the chance of being the star on the stage,” Mr. Traumann said.

Soldiers patrol with a battle tank the Enseada de Botafogo with the Sugar Loaf mountain in the background ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit on November 15, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Brazil has deployed troops, armored vehicles and naval ships to reinforce security around the summit of leaders from the Group of 20 major economies who meet on Monday and Tuesday at Rio de Janeiro’s bayside Museum of Modern Art.

Air traffic, including the use of drones, has been restricted and flights canceled for two days at the domestic Santos Dumont Airport nearby.

Authorities are taking no chances after a failed bomb attack on Brazil’s Supreme Court in the capital Brasilia on Wednesday. Police said a right-wing activist killed himself with explosives outside the court after trying to enter with a homemade bomb.

Army soldiers patrolled the vicinity of the museum, streets were closed off to traffic and armored cars parked outside the building where G20 leaders will gather.

Naval boats patrolled the scenic Botafogo Bay between the museum and Rio’s iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, while marines ran ashore from landing craft on an adjacent beach.

“We can deploy troops very quickly from our naval base by using the sea as an access route if we need to reinforce security here,” Marine Captain Goncalves Maia told reporters.

Federal police said they swept the museum for bomb risks and positioned snipers around the building to protect the 84 leaders and ministers expected to attend the summit.

The government implemented a so-called Guarantee of Law and Order measure that allows temporary deployment of military forces during the summit with the power to detain and arrest any suspect.

“We are operating at the highest level of security possible given the stature of the foreign authorities that will be here,” said Federal Police Director Andrei Rodrigues.

A security force of 26,000 members, including 2,900 military personnel, will police the area and protect the summit venue. (Reporting by Renato Spyrro, Janaina Quinet and Lisandra Paraguassu in Rio de Janeiro, writing by Anthony Boadle, editing by Brad Haynes and Sandra Maler)

Brazilian Economy Minister Fernando Haddad attends a press conference to review the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, July 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Finance Ministers from leading rich and developing nations agreed Friday to strive toward effectively taxing the super-rich, a joint ministerial declaration said.

“With full respect to tax sovereignty, we will seek to engage cooperatively to ensure that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are effectively taxed,” the declaration said after the two-day meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil has made a proposal to impose a 2% minimum tax on billionaires a top priority of its presidency of the Group of 20, ahead of the Nov. 18-19 summit in Rio.

While the final declaration stops short of agreeing on a specific global tax, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad nevertheless called it a “significant step forward.”

“We were always optimistic about this result, but it really exceeded our initial expectations,” Mr. Haddad told reporters.

Brazil’s proposal to tax billionaires has divided G20 nations. France, Spain and South Africa have expressed support, while the U.S. is against.

“Tax policy is very difficult to coordinate globally, and we don’t see a need or really think it’s desirable to try to negotiate a global agreement on that,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told journalists Thursday.

Governments fear the super-rich would transfer their money to tax havens if a country individually adopted such a tax, said economist Rogério Studart, a senior fellow at the Brazilian Center for International Relations think tank.

“When action is done collectively, everyone wins. When there is fragmentation, many lose,” Mr. Studart said.

The richest 1% have amassed $42 trillion in new wealth over the past decade, nearly 36 times more than the entire bottom 50% of the world’s population, according to an Oxfam analysis released Thursday ahead of the Finance Ministers’ meeting.

Billionaires currently pay the equivalent of 0.3% of their wealth in taxes, according to a report by Gabriel Zucman, commissioned by Brazil. A 2% tax would raise $200 billion to $250 billion per year globally from about 3,000 individuals, money that could fund public services such as education and health care as well as the fight against climate change, the report said.

Mr. Zucman, who is the founding director of the Paris-based EU Tax Observatory, celebrated the outcome of the finance ministers’ meeting.

“For the first time in history, there is now a consensus among G20 countries that the way we tax the super-rich must be fixed, and a commitment to work together for this. It’s an important step in the right direction,” he said in a statement.

NGOs also welcomed the declaration, while encouraging further action at the G20 summit in November.

Extreme weather events made more likely by climate change are expected to cost “trillions of dollars every year and it is outrageous to expect that the regular taxpayer should pay for it,” Camila Jardim, an international politics specialist with Greenpeace Brazil, said in a statement.

Brazil has put inequality, poverty and hunger at the heart of its presidency of the G20. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended the need for increased taxation of the world’s richest in Rio on Wednesday when he unveiled plans for a global alliance against hunger and poverty.

Brazil is also pushing for changes in global governance institutions and advocating for a sustainable energy transition.

On the sidelines of the discussions around taxation, Haddad and Yellen on Friday announced the launch of a climate partnership between Brazil’s Ministry of Finance and the U.S. Treasury.

It will seek “to address today’s most pressing environmental challenges and strengthen the region’s green economy,” Yellen said, citing efforts to bolster clean energy supply chains and improve the integrity and effectiveness of the voluntary carbon market.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (L) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy, on June 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, June 14, 2024, left for home after concluding his day-long visit to Italy during which he attended the G7 summit and held bilaterals with several world leaders including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron and Pope Francis.

Also read:G7 Summit 2024 highlights: At Outreach session, PM Modi called for ending monopoly in technology

In an address at an Outreach session of the G7 summit in Italy’s Apulia region, Mr. Modi called for ending the monopoly in technology and said it must be made creative to lay the foundation of an inclusive society.

The Prime Minister spoke extensively on the importance of ending monopoly in technology with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence. Mr. Modi said India is among the first few countries to formulate a national strategy on artificial intelligence.

On the sidelines of the summit, Mr. Modi met U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Macron, British Prime Minister Sunak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Pope Francis and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida among others.

Also read:Way to peace is through ‘dialogue and diplomacy’: PM Modi tells Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The meeting with Mr. Macron was Mr. Modi’s first official bilateral meeting with an international leader since taking charge for his third term as Prime Minister earlier this month.

Besides India, Italy invited leaders from 11 developing countries in Africa, South America and the Indo-Pacific region to attend the G7 Summit.

Hanoi:

India has emerged as a country which is able to contribute much more to the world with a higher level of confidence and harmonise the contradictions of the world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. Addressing the Indian community in Vietnam, Mr Jaishankar also highlighted India’s role on the global stage through hosting a successful G20 summit in New Delhi last month and the deep historical and cultural connect that it shares with Vietnam.

“India is today very much a country on the Moon. It is a country whose global impact will be felt more and more… It is really, today a nation with many more capabilities, which is able to contribute much more and which has a much higher level of confidence…,” he told the Indian community members.

He said the space India occupies and the reputation built by it is creating the impression in the world that there is a country, which is actually able to harmonise the contradictions of the world, bridge the divides of the world, find common ground, and get people together.

“I must say, whether it was the G20 or a lot of other forums. Today, one big difference we are making is that we are able to get the world to look at the right issues. And the right tissues of the world today are development, climate, terrorism and debt. So the rest of the world today is looking very much towards India to articulate a lot of these positions,” he added.

Noting that India and Vietnam are probably the two fastest-growing economies in Asia, he said the USD 15 billion bilateral trade volume can grow and grow very fast. “And what we have to do is to set very ambitious targets and to clear a pathway for those targets to be realised,” he said.

Addressed the Indian community in Vietnam

Highlighted

The deep historical and cultural connect that share. My Son is the best example of this civilizational connect.

India’s role in the global stage through G20 and our ability to forge consensus is being noted… pic.twitter.com/hgKgNVxfA0

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 17, 2023

“A second set of issues for every country, defence and security is very important. We have long been reliable partners of Vietnam,” Mr Jaishankar said, adding that his visit was about how the two sides can broaden their relationship and accelerate cooperation. Noting that things are very difficult in many parts of the world, he said the challenges have actually only strengthened our commitment and our resolve to do more things together.

He underlined the importance of people-to-people connections and hailed the Indian community’s role in strengthening the country’s global outreach.

“There is no question today that in many ways our relationship is a good fit, there is a lot that we can do, but at the end of the day, when we speak about cooperation, it is done by people, and you are the people,” he added.

Mr Jaishankar arrived in Vietnam on Sunday on a four-day official visit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Since the conclusion of the G20 Summit, nozzles worth more than Rs 10 lakh have been stolen from fountains newly installed outside Bharat Mandapam and at the Delhi Gate, officials said on Tuesday. The matter came to light when the agency tasked with their maintenance filed a police complaint.

According to officials of the Public Works Department, the stainless steel nozzles are priced at Rs 4,000 each.

A number of fountains were installed across the central Delhi area in the run-up to the G20 Summit.

“Twenty-four nozzles have been stolen from fountains outside the Bharat Mandapam while 12 nozzles from the fountain at Delhi Gate. The theft happened after the culmination of the G20 Summit,” a PWD official said.

Asked whether the CCTV cameras installed in the areas captured any suspicious movement, he said that the cameras installed by the agency cover only Gates 6 and 7 of Bharat Mandapam.

“There are also cameras installed by the Delhi Police but we do not know whether they are functional. The nozzles are expensive and we are trying to find alternatives to them,” the person said.

He said while the PWD replaced the stolen nozzles with plastic ones at Delhi Gate, the ones outside Bharat Mandapam can only be fitted with stainless steel ones since they are large fountains.

Even earlier, the department had filed police complaints about thefts of wires, nozzles, and other fixtures.

The department has deployed security guards around important places to ensure the security of the assets created during the summit.

“However, it is not possible … to ensure that they are not stolen since they are only a handful in number. Also, it is not possible for the department to deploy security guards everywhere,” said the PWD official.

Last month, Delhi PWD minister Atishi had said an agency will be hired for the safekeeping of these assets. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)