13 CCTVs out of order at ISBT

NEW DELHI: How safe are Delhi's so called safety jackets? Following the unprecedented terror attacks in Mumbai on Wednesday night, that is the one question that is on everyone's mind. A reality check by Times City at the inter-state bus terminals in Delhi found the question timely and justified.
At Kashmere Gate Inter-State Bus Terminal, reportedly used by more than 10,000 passengers everyday, all is far from well.Of the 32 CCTVs installed in the building, only 19 are working. And whatever they are recording is not being monitored regularly either. Frisking and searching is limited to a bare minimum, and even hand-held metal detectors are malfunctioning. Getting in and out of Kashmere Gate ISBT is child's play.
The CCTV control room was a picture of casual approach. Said an electrician carrying out repairs: "Some of the CCTVs will take weeks to repair. We will set them working once the bosses are here.'' When questioned, a policeman responsible for vigilance activities said: "All the non functional CCTVs are being repaired and moreover they are the ones that cover non-vital areas of the building.''
The ISBT buildings at Kashmere Gate and Anand Vihar have multiple exits equipped with doorframe metal detectors and security guards with hand-held metal detectors. However, upon closer look Times City found that some of the metal detectors were not working. The guards blamed it on "discharged batteries."
On being questioned about the loopholes, a police officer said,"The hand-held detectors will be repaired very soon. And as far as frisking is concerned, we try our best, but given the rush and lack of enough manpower, it is extremely difficult to carry out detailed searches of every passenger.'' He however, added that security was being beefed up in the wake of the blasts.