CC cameras on BRTS Road by May

D Gopi Vijayawada:The city would have the first closed circuit cameras on the BRTS (Bus Rapid Transport System) Road in the month of May, if the initial plan goes well. The other roads and the important junctions would have the same in phases. The BRTS Road would have five CC cameras provided by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation in an attempt to keep a check on the vehicular movements and also on the movement of the unsocial elements, including terrorist outfits. This was disclosed here on Tuesday by the city Police Commissioner N Madhusudhan Reddy, in a brief interaction with The Hans India. The city police have launched special drive to check terrorist activities in the city and one of the initiatives was installation of CC cameras at all important places. The police have already instructed the commercial establishments, hotels and theatres in the city to install CC cameras and Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs) as a precautionary measure. "The commercial establishments on Besant Road have the CC cameras to monitor the activities within their premises. We have now asked them to have one more camera facing the road to keep a watch on the movements of the people outside the establishments," the Police Commissioner said. The busy Besant Road is one of the sensitive places in the city, besides Dr Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station, Gannavaram airport, Pundit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) complex, Kanakadurga Temple and the railway station. "We have visited all these places and alerted them on the security measures to be taken up by them. We have also instructed them on the basic security check on the movement of the people, particularly on the movement of the suspicious persons, unclaimed bags and suitcases," he said. The city police have also launched special awareness drive in the city, particularly at the busy market places and important bus stops to keep an eye on the unclaimed packets, bags and suitcases. "The other day, we received a call about an unclaimed bag at Kaleswararao Market. Our bomb squads had rushed there and found that the bag belonged to a school boy who might have forgotten it. After identifying the boy, we handed over the bag," the Police Commissioner said expressing satisfaction over theawareness created by them among people. The police have also issued instructions to the private security personnel of the Kanakadurga Temple who are now closely watching the movements of devotees atop the hill and in the queue lines. Same is the case with the APSRTC security personnel at the bus station who were asked to watch the movements of the passengers and look out for unclaimed bags and other belongings left in the bus station complex. "The RTC officials were asked to instruct their drivers and conductors to check the luggage and identify the owners before the bus leaves the bus station complex," he said. When asked about the security at the Gannavaram airport, the Police Commissioner said that it was under their surveillance now and they have taken every special care to keep it safe. "Whenever there is a VVIP visit to the airport, we are providing additional protection," he added. However, he expressed doubts on security to some of the public places including Prakasam Barrage, which is open for everyone all through the day. "The barrage and the bathing ghats, both in the upstream and downstream, are vulnerable places," he said. The tea stalls are important places where people gather in the evenings and the police have started to instruct the owners to install CC cameras. One of the tea stalls in the city at Ajitsingh Nagar had already installed CC cameras and others may have to follow in their own interest and in the interests of the city, he added.