Spotlight on Kumarakom as the backwater village set to host G20 officers' meeting

Kottayam: Kumarakom village on the banks of Vembanad Lake in Kerala is gearing up to host the G20 Sherpa meeting ahead of the 2023 New Delhi summit of the intergovernmental forum.

The meeting of sherpas, who are officers or envoys of the leaders of the member countries, is expected to give a boost to the tourism sector and pave the way for the growth of the local economy. Preparations are under way at the KTDC resort where the meeting will be held from March 30-April 2.

The authorities of various state government departments are currently engaged in sprucing up the popular tourist destination on a war-footing in view of the meet.

Incidentally, Kumarakom had previously witnessed similar developmental activities back in the year in 2000, when the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee stayed here.

What is G20?
The G20 is an international forum, comprising the most developed and emerging economies in the world. Though named G20, 19 countries and the European Union make up the forum.

The G20 member countries represent about 85 per cent of the global GDP, and also around 65 per cent of the world's population. Therefore, the decisions of the G20 Group are crucial in shaping the future of the world.

Security arrangements
As many as 1,300 police personnel would provide security to Kumarakom during the days when the officers' meeting would be held here.

Six Superintendents of Police will lead the security arrangements.

The Vembanad Lake and the surroundings will be under tight security cover, Kottayam district police chief K Karthik has said.

Kumarakom and the surrounding areas have been included in the red zone. A ban on flying drones has been imposed in the area from April 9 to 10. Apart from drones, remote-controlled aircraft and other air balloons will also come under this ban.

A total of 120 delegates, who are in the Z-plus category, will be participating in the meeting. The police would check the background of the staff at the resorts where the G20 delegates would be staying.

Only after the police visit the houses of the staff and ensure that they do not have any criminal background that they would be selected for the job and services.