The Delhi Police has identified 456 routes that are considered prone for the safety and security of women in the national Capital. According to the data compiled by the Delhi Police after it mapped the city to secure girls/women during nights, the most vulnerable areas for women in the Capital are New Delhi and south Delhi areas. What is more startling is the fact that the area behind 7 Race Course Road, the official residence of the Prime Minister; Kautilya Marg, Panchsheel Marg and Vinay Marg in highly fortified New Delhi districts have been bracketed as vulnerable ones.
Apart from the Prime Minister, the lutyen’s Zone also houses MPs, Ministers, bureaucrats, top cops and judges of Supreme Court and High Court. The Delhi Police audit report also puts Tughlak Road, Aurangzeb Road, Safdarjung Road, Niti Marg, Tolstoy Road and Pandara Road in the area that are not safe for women.
Delhi’s diplomatic enclave poses security risk to women despite the entire enclave having round the clock security by the Delhi Police and central para-military forces. Sprawling Nehru Park resembles a ghost area at night, except for the occasional watchmen and the cars whizzing past. This particular stretch ahs been categorised as the most vulnerable for any woman especially during nights.
Out of the 46 risk spots, there are 16 vulnerable routes in Outer Delhi, six in the North-West, 46 in the heart of the city, 14 in central parts of the city, 27 in North Delhi, 46 in the South, 27 in West Delhi, 22 in the South-West district, 31 in the East District, 13 in th South-East and six in the North-East Delhi.
The audit report further states that areas of South Delhi, Press Enclave Road, Kalka Dass Marg near Qutub Minar, lodhi Road, Nelson Mandela Marg and Vasant Marg, Mahipalpur and Vasant Kunj are deemed dangerous for women at night. The rocky and forested route along the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and its adjoining areas are one of the most unsafe spots for women, the report states.
It may be recalled that the horrendous December 16 gangrape of a paramedic girl had taken place in the South district starting from Munirka bus stand to Mahipalpur area. In Uber rape case, the victim was sexually assaulted in a dark isolated road outside a garbage dump near a drain on Najafgarh Road. On January 14, a Danish woman was raped by eight vagabonds at State Entry Road near Connaught Place. On June 12, a 36-year-old woman was gangraped by three men in a moving car in Vasant Kunj area near JNU at around 10 pm.
Poor lighting was one of the factors that was highlighted during the probe of the December 16 gangrape. In the subsequent exercise, the Delhi Police identified many unlit places as ‘Dark Spots’ and accorded special attention to police these area. It may noted that there are around 2,000 Dark Spots every night in the city where there are no streetlights.
During the mapping of the crime prone areas on Friday, Delhi police identified 2,264 Dark Spots across the city. In the highly secured New Delhi district alone, there were 110 Dark Spots, in Central Delhi 29, in North Delhi 95, in South East 247, in East 312, in North East 364, in North West 93, in Outer Delhi 75, in South West 479, in South Delhi 379 and in West Delhi 81. Of the 2,264 Dark Spots, 930 are also unlit stretches of road without streetlights.
In the aftermath of the December 16 gang rape case, a committee was formed to look into this aspect. Delhi Police was tasked to identify and prepare a report on Dark Spots where no streetlights exist, along with other vulnerable spots and send it to Delhi government. Delhi government agencies were asked by the police to install lampposts at those spots. But these largely remain on paper.
Delhi Police shares the daily report on the conditions of the Dark Spots with the state PWD. Sometimes, non-functional streetlights are repaired, but more often than not, they remain unlit. There are no streetlights on 930 dark stretches, which have been identified as crime prone areas. Strangely, PWD officials say that they don’t have enough manpower to audit every streetlight, or the funds to install new streetlights.