The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) emphasizes its commitment to providing a safe, secure, and seamless travel experience for all commuters, especially women. It operates over 350 trains with dedicated coaches for women and is equipped with around 11,000 CCTV cameras inside trains and approximately 13,000 CCTV cameras across all metro stations. These cameras are strategically placed at entry/exit points, ticket counters, escalators, and platforms to monitor crowds and ensure safety. Passenger emergency alarm buttons inside coaches enable real-time reporting of incidents, allowing quick response from DMRC and CISF personnel. Regular maintenance and prompt rectification of CCTV issues are integral to ensuring their continuous functionality, with minimal downtime and no blind spots in surveillance coverage.
DMRC clarifies that the number of non-functional CCTVs, reported as 300-500 annually, represents a very small fraction of the total 24,000 cameras operational daily. These figures indicate that on any given day, only one or two cameras may be undergoing maintenance, which does not compromise passenger safety or security. The robust surveillance system ensures effective monitoring with overlapping coverage, and even temporarily non-functional cameras are quickly attended to, maintaining overall safety standards. Additionally, DMRC is progressively replacing older CCTV models with advanced IP-based cameras featuring video analytics, further enhancing security.
To supplement technological measures, DMRC has implemented various security initiatives to protect women commuters. These include prominently displayed helpline numbers such as 1091, 155370, and 155655 for immediate assistance. A dedicated security unit known as the Kali squad, comprising trained female commandos skilled in martial arts, actively responds to security threats, including male intruders in ladies’ coaches. They are equipped to neutralize threats using everyday objects and are deployed on trains and platforms to ensure women’s safety. Overall, DMRC’s comprehensive safety infrastructure and proactive security measures reflect its unwavering commitment to safeguarding its passengers.
