Several key roads will remain closed to traffic near Red Fort from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday for the Independence Day full-dress rehearsal. Delhi Traffic Police has advised commuters to use alternative routes as the rehearsal is expected to affect traffic movement across central and north Delhi. Only authorised vehicles will be allowed near locations such as India Gate and stretches of Ring Road and Outer Ring Road between Nizamuddin Khatta and ISBT Kashmere Gate.

For north-south movement, commuters have been advised to take Aurobindo Marg, Safdarjung Road, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Marg, Kautilya Marg, Sardar Patel Marg, Mother Teresa Crescent, Park Street, Mandir Marg, Panchkuian Road and Rani Jhansi Road. The alternate route is through Connaught Place, Minto Road, Minto Road, Bhavbhuti Marg, Ajmeri Gate, Shradahanand Marg, Lahori Gate Chowk, Naya Street, Peeli Kothi and S.P. Mukherjee Marg.

For east-west access, public can use routes through Nizamuddin Khatta, Barapulla Road, Ashram, Ring Road and other designated corridors. The DND-NH24 (NH9)-Yudhister Setu-Signature Bridge-Wazirabad Bridge corridor will remain open for reaching Ring Road.

Goods vehicles will not be permitted between Nizamuddin Khatta and Wazirabad Bridge and Inter-state buses will also not be allowed between Maharana Pratap ISBT and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT from midnight on August 12 until 11 a.m. on August 13. The Old Iron Bridge and Geeta Colony Bridge towards Shanti Van will also remain closed.

Local buses, including Delhi Transport Corporation buses, will also not operate on Ring Road between ISBT Kashmiri Gate and the Ring Road-NH24 (NH9)/NH1 point at Nizamuddin Khatta from midnight on August 12 until 10 a.m. on August 13, and will be diverted to alternate routes.

Security stepped up

Police has stepped up security and emergency preparedness across key areas in the city. The Central district police on Tuesday issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, prohibiting kite flying and the use of other aerial objects at or around venues hosting Independence Day programmes and public gatherings. The restriction will remain in force until August 16, unless withdrawn earlier. Violations will invite legal action under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The Delhi Fire Service has deployed 13 fire vehicles and around 80 personnel near the Red Fort, and security agencies have been conducting mock drills to test their response to possible terror threats. In Shahdara, a counter-terrorism preparedness drill was conducted on Tuesday, during which a simulated call about an explosion at Gandhi Nagar Market was made to activate multiple agencies.

Additional DCP Shahdara Sikandar Singh said the exercise was conducted as part of the security arrangements for Independence Day and was intended to assess the coordination and response of various agencies.

Nearly 300 shops located along the 1-km stretch in Chandni Chowk, between Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Red Fort, have been asked to remain shut from August 12 to 15 as part of heightened security measures put in place by the Delhi police ahead of Independence Day.

An officer said additional deployment, verification drives and inspections in areas surrounding Red Fort and along the I-Day march route began on July 2 this year, nearly two weeks earlier than the usual date of July 15.

Sources said additional curbs are being imposed this year in view of the November 10, 2025 explosion near Red Fort that claimed 13 lives.

“Beat officers have already informed traders about the shutdown from August 12 to 15. Patrolling has also been intensified across the market,” the officer said.

Unlike previous years, when shops were allowed to operate outside the hours of I-Day rehearsals between August 12 and 14, traders this year have been asked to keep shops closed throughout the four-day period. Establishments in the area have traditionally remained closed on August 15 because of the celebrations at Red Fort.

Subdued atmosphere

On Thursday, the rain-soaked lane of shops opposite the heritage structure bore little resemblance to its usual bustle.

Police personnel were stationed every few metres with patrol units combing through the market. Shopkeepers could be heard calling out to customers with attractive discounts and offers to salvage business before the clampdown kicks in.

“This time, the security forces’ presence in the market is visibly higher. Police and army personnel are making rounds regularly. Background checks of all shop owners and workers was completed in the last week of July. These days, the police are conducting random searches of shops almost daily,” said Anil, who manages a bridal accessories shop in the market.

He expects the curbs to take a toll on the business.

“Earlier, shops were allowed to operate for part of the day between August 12 and 14, barring the hours during which rehearsals were done. Despite this, sales dropped to nearly a quarter of normal business,” he added.

Pal, who runs a 70-year-old bag shop in the area, said traders have grown accustomed to annual disruptions but described this year’s security arrangements as the most extensive he had witnessed in decades. “We know business suffers every year during Independence Day preparations, but this year’s deployment and screening are much more intensive,” he said.

Random checks

The police have also intensified random checks at shops, hotels, lodges, guest houses and major transit points, including metro stations and bus terminals. Meanwhile, the Central district police are verifying more than 15,000 households and commercial establishments along and around the Independence Day route.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said every individual residing in these households had been screened to ascertain criminal antecedents.

Around 500 cameras, including facial recognition systems, automatic number plate recognition cameras, and pan-tilt-zoom cameras, have been deployed in and around Red Fort, with live feeds being monitored 24×7.

Officials said route sanitisation is also under way, with multiple civic agencies working to ensure waterlogging does not disrupt movement during rehearsals or the main event.