Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 29: Responding to the guidelines of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), police authorities have established three Joint Control Rooms (JCRs) and were in the process of making 43 Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTVs) functional for the safety and security of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims. The CCTVs would be in place by the end of this year.
Three Joint Control Rooms have been made fully functional at Katra, Adh-Kunwari and Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan. The Control Rooms have the personnel drawn from police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Army, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) and CID.
Official sources told the Excelsior that all three Joint Control Rooms were linked to each other and also had communication with all security agencies operating in Katra, Vaishno Devi Bhawan and 13 kilometers track from Katra to Bhawan. The communication of the Control Rooms was also attached to all senior officers of different security agencies in Udhampur, Katra, Reasi and other places.
“The Joint Control Rooms would prove very useful in maintenance of yatra and meet with any kind of situation,” they said.
When contacted, DIG Udhampur-Doda range Gareeb Dass confirmed that three Joint Control Rooms have been made fully functional at Katra, the base camp of the shrine, Adh-Kunwari, the middle point and Vaishno Devi Bhawan. The Control Rooms were equipped with latest communication equipments, he said.
On CCTVs, the DIG said all old 33 CCTVs at Katra, Vaishno Devi Bhawan, 13 kilometers track and other places were being repaired while 10 new cameras were being installed to keep strict surveillance on the movement of anti-national and anti-social elements.
Seven CCTVs would be installed in Reasi district, which would be in addition to 42 surveillance cameras meant exclusively for safety and security of Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims.
It may be mentioned here that out of 33 surveillance cameras installed at Katra, Bhawan and other places, all but one had been rendered non-functional due to snags leading to a major security risk. The CCTVs were lying defunct for the past more than one year now. Some of them had developed snag within few days of their installation.
Gareeb Dass said all 33 old cameras were being repaired while 10 new CCTVs are being installed for security of the pilgrims. “Hopefully by the end of this year, the cameras would be fully functional and in place at right areas for maximum coverage of the spots,” he added.
According to sources, the coverage from surveillance cameras would start right from Domel and continue up to Bhawan. The CCTVs would be installed at higher locations like Shankaracharya temple near Katra so that they covered maximum areas apart from getting audio and video of the persons.
Katra town, Bus Stand, Railway Station, entire 13 kilometers track, Adh-Kunwari, Sanji Chat, alternate track, Bhawan, Bhairon Ghati and other sensitive places would be covered by the CCTVs, sources said, adding that towers of most of the new cameras have been installed and now efforts were on to supply them power round-the-clock before making them fully operational.
“The setting up of Joint Control Rooms and making all CCTVs operational was the major requirement of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. While the Control Rooms were functional, the CCTVs would start functioning in the next few days,” sources said, adding that much before the MHA directive came the police authorities had already started work on repair of old surveillance cameras and installation of new ones.
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