Chennai Police Deploy Five-Tier Security at Fort St. George for Independence Day

The Greater Chennai City Police has put in place elaborate security arrangements and traffic diversions around Fort St. George in Chennai ahead of the 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2026. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will hoist the national flag at the ramparts of Fort St. George and deliver the Independence Day address.

A five-tier security arrangement involving police officers and personnel has been deployed across Fort St. George and its surrounding areas under the direction of Chennai Police Commissioner A. Amalraj. Special security operations have been organised under the supervision of Additional Commissioners Kapil Kumar C. Saratkar (North), K.S. Narendra Nair (South), and B. Shamoondeshwari (Traffic).

Additional police teams have been deployed as a precautionary measure at key transit hubs and public spots across the city, including Chennai airport, railway stations, bus terminals, metro stations, commercial complexes, beaches, and places of worship. Intensive surveillance and checks are also being carried out at hotels and lodges, alongside intensified round-the-clock patrolling using two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Police have set up barricades at major locations to conduct intensive vehicle checks, and the public has been advised to report any suspicious movements or unattended vehicles.

The Greater Chennai City Traffic Police has announced traffic regulations around Fort St. George from 6 a.m. until the conclusion of the event. The stretch of Kamarajar Salai from the Labour Statue up to the RBI Subway North on Rajaji Salai, along with Flag Staff Road, will remain closed to general vehicular traffic, with access restricted strictly to vehicles carrying designated red and purple car passes.

Vehicles with red and purple passes arriving along Kamarajar Salai before 8:10 a.m. will proceed via Rajaji Salai to alight outside the Secretariat in-gate, parking in designated slots inside the Secretariat complex. After 8:10 a.m., entry via the War Memorial will be closed for these passes, diverting vehicles through Flag Staff Road, Wallajah Point, Muthusamy Point, Muthusamy Road, NFS Road, Parrys Corner, and the RBI Subway to the Secretariat out-gate to park at the PWD parking area.

Vehicles without passes will be permitted up to the Labour Statue and subsequently diverted into Wallajah Salai and Anna Salai to park inside Island Grounds through Gate 9. If the parking area fills, unpassed vehicles will be directed to park on designated stretches of Anna Salai, Omandurar Hospital, Sivanandha Salai, Anna Swimming Pool, Foreshore Road, Victoria Hostel Road, and MRTS Parking.