Nehru Place: park at your risk
9 July 2012 12:25 PM GMT
Delhi Metro and Delhi Police, while claiming tight security to avoid any terror attack, are forgetting that the Metro stations’ parking are also a part of security. At Nehru Place Metro station, for instance, neither the parking guard checks the vehicle while allowing them inside the parking area nor are CCTV cameras available in the parking to put a check on the activities that take place in the parking premises.
Besides, it has also been found that the station parking accommodates more vehicles than its capacity. ‘Nehru Place Metro station parking covers about 2,000 square feet space in which 250 cars and 400 two wheelers can be parked at one time. However, about 700 cars and 1,000 two wheelers are parked daily,’ a sources said.
The parking guards at Nehru Place Metro station do little more than issue and receive the parking slips. No attempt is made to check the vehicle before permitting them inside the parking. When Millennium Post contacted the parking guards at Nehru Place Metro station, to ask the reason for this negligence in security, both the parking guards said with such work pressure its was impossible for just two guards to check every vehicle. ‘We are provided with mirror detectors but we rarely use it. At the time of festivals and public holidays, when the threat is bigger we do check the vehicles. Police then brings pressure on us to check every vehicle before permitting them to park,’ the parking attendant said. The parking premises is close to the main building of the Metro station. ‘Any terrorist can stick bomb or explosive material in a car which could easily affect the Metro stations,’ the sources said.
Even the local police is aware of the situation but they don’t act as it doesn’t fall under their jurisdiction. ‘No one is assigned duty at the parking of Nehru Place Metro station so sometimes we go and check the vehicles parked. Even I feel that the security is lacking and it could be dangerous but we are not authorised to act,’ a police official of Nehru Place said.
Another loophole which is evident at the station is the lack of CCTVs. Shashank, an employee with a MNC in Nehru Place said that mostly he used to park his Santro car at the Metro station’s parking. One day he found that his side mirror was missing.
The parking guards said that it is not their responsibility. Also they alleged the parking charges are only meant for the space that the vehicle is covering, not for its protection. ‘It’s better to install CCTV cameras at every corner of the parking. Several times I have noticed that there is no one to keep a check on the vehicles,’ added Shashank.
Besides, it has also been found that the station parking accommodates more vehicles than its capacity. ‘Nehru Place Metro station parking covers about 2,000 square feet space in which 250 cars and 400 two wheelers can be parked at one time. However, about 700 cars and 1,000 two wheelers are parked daily,’ a sources said.
The parking guards at Nehru Place Metro station do little more than issue and receive the parking slips. No attempt is made to check the vehicle before permitting them inside the parking. When Millennium Post contacted the parking guards at Nehru Place Metro station, to ask the reason for this negligence in security, both the parking guards said with such work pressure its was impossible for just two guards to check every vehicle. ‘We are provided with mirror detectors but we rarely use it. At the time of festivals and public holidays, when the threat is bigger we do check the vehicles. Police then brings pressure on us to check every vehicle before permitting them to park,’ the parking attendant said. The parking premises is close to the main building of the Metro station. ‘Any terrorist can stick bomb or explosive material in a car which could easily affect the Metro stations,’ the sources said.
Even the local police is aware of the situation but they don’t act as it doesn’t fall under their jurisdiction. ‘No one is assigned duty at the parking of Nehru Place Metro station so sometimes we go and check the vehicles parked. Even I feel that the security is lacking and it could be dangerous but we are not authorised to act,’ a police official of Nehru Place said.
Another loophole which is evident at the station is the lack of CCTVs. Shashank, an employee with a MNC in Nehru Place said that mostly he used to park his Santro car at the Metro station’s parking. One day he found that his side mirror was missing.
The parking guards said that it is not their responsibility. Also they alleged the parking charges are only meant for the space that the vehicle is covering, not for its protection. ‘It’s better to install CCTV cameras at every corner of the parking. Several times I have noticed that there is no one to keep a check on the vehicles,’ added Shashank.
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