NEW DELHI, March 1: Snake charmers have given the all clear for US President George W. Bush to go ahead with plans to deliver a speech from a medieval fort here during his three day India visit, officials said on Wednesday.

City police roped in the snake-charmers after curators of Purana Qila expressed concern that reptiles would gatecrash Bush’s scheduled address on Friday from the 16th century fort.

“It was part of our drill to sanitise the fort as it is flanked by a porous zoo on one side and a large lake on the other, and the president will be delivering his address from a lawn which has shrubs on its fringes,” a senior police officer said.

The snake charmers, who are often accused of clandestinely trading in reptilian products despite a national ban, completed their search of the area on Monday but would sweep the Mughal-built edifice again on Thursday, said the officer, who asked not to be named.

Security sweeps for Bush and his entourage have extended to New Delhi’s drainage system, which has been scoured for explosives, another official said.

New Delhi has placed its entire police force of 71,000 officers on high alert and sealed off the hotel where Bush and his entourage will stay during the trip—AFP