A security audit of Delhi’s 45 railway stations conducted by the Government Railway Police (GRP) after the Pulwama terror attack has revealed serious lapses in the present security infrastructure. The audit report mentions that 11 railway stations have no passenger bag scanners, while four stations lack boundary walls to prevent intrusion. It further states that railway stations in the national capital face a shortage of 416 CCTV cameras, 16 baggage scanners and 15 door frame metal detectors (DFMDs) required to prevent entry of arms, ammunition and explosives into the premises.
The audit was conducted in late February, less than a week after the Pulwama terror attack. A copy of the report has also been sent to senior officers of the Northern Railway’s Delhi division. It is requested that immediate remedial measures may kindly be taken on above mentioned points on priority to avoid any untoward incident in the interest of safety of railways, passengers and property,” the report reads.
The report further says that CCTV cameras installed at two important stations are quite old and their images are very poor. These CCTV cameras are required to be replaced. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Northern Railway’s Delhi division, RN Singh, said that they are working towards upgrading the existing facility and surveillance equipment. “We are changing the existing CCTV cameras with the cameras with better picture quality. We are also adding more cameras. At major stations in Delhi, we have sufficient equipment. There are always issues, which are addressed from time to time,” the DRM said.
