Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 23: A major security lapse persisted in sensitive Jammu and Kashmir State even after the twin blasts at Hyderabad on Thursday as most of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, installed in capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar besides Katra, the base camp of holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi ji, Katra-Bhawan track and some other places, have been rendered non-functional, mostly due to mechanical failure.
While Jammu and Kashmir always remained on terror radar having witnessed several major strikes by the terrorists including fidayeen attacks, it would be unable to get any footage from the CCTVs as most of them were lying defunct.
According to reliable sources, 38 out of 43 CCTVs in Jammu City, 27 out of 33 cameras in holy town of Katra and all 25 CCTVs on Katra-Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan track were out of order. The only silver lining was the Jammu Railway station where 14 out of 16 CCTVs were working.
According to official reports, excepting the CCTVs installed at Jehangir Chowk and Civil Secretariat in Srinagar City, all others were out of order.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Headquarters, Dr Shesh Pal Vaid told the Excelsior that the Company, which had installed the CCTVs, has been directed to repair them. He said cable and electricity lines of some CCTVs were cut.
“Efforts were on to get the CCTVs repaired’’, Dr Vaid said.
IGP Jammu Zone, Dilbagh Singh said the Police Headquarters has taken up the matter with the Company for repair of CCTVs. However, he admitted that there was no alternate to the surveillance cameras though, he said, police have multiplied its efforts to step-up vigil on anti-national elements to ward off possibility of any terror strike in the City.
According to sources, 38 out of 43 CCTVs installed in the City were defunct. Police authorities have taken up the matter with the Company that had installed the surveillance cameras to repair them but there has been no action from the Company side so far.
Jammu City was not the only place where no CCTV footage would be available in case of any terror attack but holy town of Katra, which serves as base camp for Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, was another such place where 33 CCTVs were installed to keep a vigil on the miscreants.
According to sources, only six of 33 CCTVs in Katra were functional while rests of them were lying defunct. Surprisingly, all 25 CCTVs installed along 13 kilometers track from Katra to holy cave shrine were not working. However, six CCTVs installed at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan were functional.
There has been a proposal to install eight CCTVs at Shiv Khori cave shrine of Lord Shiva in Reasi and seven in Reasi town, sources said.
Almost similar is the position in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, where majority of CCTVs barring those installed at Jehangir Chowk and Civil Secretariat were non-functional.
Sources said there has been a proposal to install 150 more hi-tech CCTVs under police modernization plan but priority of police authorities was to get the existing CCTVs working.
Admitting that non-functioning of CCTVs was a “grave security risk’’, sources said there would be no footage available if any kind of incident happened in the areas, where they have been installed.
“It was intriguing that at a time when even small private organisations including offices, business establishments and shops have installed CCTVs, which were working effectively, the Police Department has failed to make its CCTVs functional especially at the sensitive areas including Jammu City and Katra town’’, sources said. Worthwhile to mention here that over 1 crore pilgrims had visited Mata Vaishno Devi shrine last year.
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