Title - HD cameras to replace aging 'eyes' at Kalupur station

AHMEDABAD: Security at Ahmedabad railway station in Kalupur will soon be strengthened with sharper vision. Dissatisfied with the unclear and grainy images of the old CCTV network, Western Railway plans to install high definition (HD) CCTV surveillance system at Kalupur railway station to monitor activities at different places more effectively.

Around 50 HD CCTV cameras are to be installed at ticket booking counters, platforms, reservation centers, parking space and also in the shunting yards. "The entire HD CCTV project will cost Rs 17 lakh and should be installed in two months. The new cameras are based on the latest HD-IP technology," said Jitendra kumar Jayant, public relations officer of Western Railway, Ahmedabad.

Nearly 175 trains stop at the Kalupur station daily and, on an average, 1.20 lakh to 1.30 lakh passengers pass through it every day. But the security arrangements at the station were not up to the mark. The station got its CCTV system in 1998 but these were now proving inadequate in providing clear video images of the goings-on at the station.

The Ahmedabad railway terminus at Kalupur has only 17 CCTV cameras. Moreover, they are not able to provide clear images of commuters' faces and other details. Moreover, the 17 cameras cover only Platform Nos. 1 to 5 while Platform Nos. 6 to 12 are without any electronic surveillance. At these platforms, long distance trains bring passengers daily from the border states.

The new HD CCTV network will have zoom facility and will help the police identify and locate troublemakers and untoward occurrences from the control room.

Jayant said that the Western Railway was setting up an 'RPF Sankul' near the reservation office at the Ahmedabad railway station. "This will enhance security and safety and improve services. The RPF Sankul will be the control point from where goings-on within and outside the railway station will be monitored," he said.

Officials at the CCTV control room will also keep an eye on ticket black-marketers and track movement of unauthorized personnel near booking centers. The 'RPF Sankul' will be run round-the-clock by RPF personnel who will keep an eye on platforms, the railway yard and ticket-booking counters. "They will be better equipped to initiate immediate action in times of emergency," said a railway official.