While that iscomforting, a closer look reveals a disturbing scenario. Most of theCCTVs that are installed do not function and the electronicequipments which help in identifying metal objects, weapons andexplosives are rarely used.
A visit to New FriendsColony, a busy South Delhi neighborhood famous for its street foodpaints a picture of lackadaisical attitude on the part of policemen.It is not uncommon to find cops chatting away on their cellphoneswhile people walk in and out of the market without passing throughthe entrance fitted with electronic equipment. Without scrutinizingeach individual that enters busy markets and malls, it is impossibleto safeguard people from terrorist attacks. It may be noted that mostterrorist attacks in New Delhi have taken place in markets and publicplaces. The explosions at Sarojini Nagar market and Satyam Cinema arestill fresh in many residents' memories.
Rajneesh Kotwal, a 25year old constable feels the Delhi Police waits till somethingominous takes place. "I have noticed many of my colleaguesplaying video games on their smartphones without bothering to performtheir duties. It is not very hard to make sure that people entermarkets and malls through security barricades. However, a few badseeds in the system are enough to increase the risks of terrorattacks."
A police inspector inSouth Delhi district who did not want to be named denied that hispersonnel are careless. “We take very strict actions againstconstables and policemen who are not found performing their dutiessincerely. Residents are requested to inform their nearest policestation if they find constables are not being proactive in ensuringand monitoring security at public places.”
To make matters worse,across New Delhi there are only 1054 CCTVs out of which 200 areplaced in the VVIP areas that house government and diplomaticestablishments. Data from the 50-odd CCTV cameras that have beeninstalled in markets are rewritten every 7-15 days because the DelhiPolice lacks digital space to store. Ms. Alka Sinha, a resident ofthe nearby Sukhdev Vihar fears that such markets are time bombswaiting to explode, pun intended.
