Exteriors vulnerable with security stationed further inside stations
The brazen armed attack on a woman and her father at Karkardooma Metro stations has yet again brought to fore the issue of safety and security at Metro stations across the city. This is not the first such incident. A similar shootout had taken place last year when an unidentified assailant shot a middle-aged man outside the Mayur Vihar Phase-I Metro station.
The problem lies in the fact that there is no security outside metro stations and the frisking of passengers takes place only after they reach the security gates. Before this point, the metro premises are vulnerable.
In this case too, the alleged shooter was not once intercepted before he opened fire. “The layout of the station is such that frisking and security checks take place at the concourse level located above the first floor of the metro station. Before this, access to the station is free for all,” a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official said.
Security agencies fail to address the issue of securing the approach roads to the metro stations and the stations are sitting ducks to such appalling incidents. The official added that the Karkardooma metro station lacks CCTV cameras on the ground floor and that efforts are on to upgrade the security infrastructure of such metro stations.
“In order to cover the vulnerable points, CISF has asked Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to install 900 new CCTV cameras across its network.
CISF has also asked the Delhi Metro to relocate the existing 300 cameras to cover susceptible areas in station premises.
Though the force has identified busy and the most vulnerable metro stations such as Kashmere Gate and Rajiv Chowk, and has covered them entirely, the security cover at other metro stations depends on the strength of the personnel provided for each station,” added the official.
He said that the patrolling team covers the rest of the areas of the metro stations and admitted that it is humanly not possible to avoid every such incident.
“The metro premises are large areas and it is a huge effort to provide security cover to every nook and corner of them. Besides, the area outside the stations is beyond our scope. Unfortunate incidents such as these can be avoided with a better police presence outside the stations,” he said.
The outrageous incident, which left commuters shocked, highlights that things have barely improved despite the massive outcry over security since the December 16 gang-rape in the national Capital. The police presence remains minimal and security personnel are not seen outside the metro stations, making them prone to criminal activities.
Delhi Metro refused to comment on the incident as it occurred at the entrance of the station, which is beyond its scope. “The shootout did not hamper the metro services on the line, which continued as per normal. The security infrastructure is upgraded on a regular basis, as per the requirements,” a DMRC spokesperson said.