If you believe premises of the Delhi Metro stations are one of the safest places in the city, it’s time to rethink. Nearly one-third of the Metro stations have been found ‘unsafe’, particularly for women, by the Delhi Police. In a survey conducted to assess the status of lighting arrangements in Metro parking lots and on roads leading to the stations, the Delhi Police has found that 44 of the 125 Metro stations in the national Capital have inadequate lighting.
Delhi Police officials said that nearly 500 cases of snatching and over 2,000 cases of stalking were reported from outside these stations, in 2014. The survey report states that parking lots at almost all Metro stations in and around Connaught Place are poorly-lit though the roads leading to them have adequate lighting. These include the crowded Rajiv Chowk, Barakhamba Road, Mandi House, R.K. Ashram Marg, Jhandewalan and Karol Bagh Metro stations. Similarly, the parking lot at Patel Chowk Metro station, which is located close to the Parliament House and the Parliament Street police station, has been found unsafe for women commuters.
The parking lot at the station has inadequate lighting, which makes it prone to petty crimes. A police official said the survey was conducted following frequent complaints of snatching and stalking from outside several Metro stations.
The survey, conducted in every police district, has revealed that none of the Metro stations in East District—including Laxmi Nagar, Yamuna Bank, Preet Vihar and Nirman Vihar—has properly-lit parking lots or approach roads. Surprisingly, the Metro stations at Akshardham and Anand Vihar too lack proper lighting arrangements. Notably, these two stations receive high footfall as tourists and rail passengers use this station in large numbers.
