UP Police will secure Aqua Metro line, a first for Metro in NCR

For the first time, a state police will secure a Metro line in the National Capital Region. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which provides security to Delhi Metro, has trained at least 500 UP police personnel, who will soon take over the security of Aqua Line.

The corridor is about 30 km long with 21 stations, six of which are in Greater Noida and 15 in Noida.

On Wednesday, the CISF conducted an exercise for as many as 35 personnel from the 49th battalion of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (UP-PAC). Over the last three months, the CISF has trained personnel from the UP-PAC in counter terrorism, close range combat, handling emergency situations, rescue and evacuation.

“We have trained them to respond to emergency situations. The Aqua Line, owing of its proximity to the national capital, is a sensitive spot,” a senior officer, who was heading the training, but did not wish to be named, said.

Superintendent of police Kalpana Saxena, presently serving as the commandant 49th battalion, said a total of 830 personnel will secure the Aqua Line.

“The CISF helped us with Metro specific training. This will help us in identifying suspicious items during baggage screening, CCTV monitoring and profiling passengers. We also have a dog squad, bomb detection teams, intelligence team and flying squad just like the CISF,” Saxena said.

Earlier, the UP government was contemplating handing over security of the Aqua Line to the CISF. However, the state government later decided to depute UP-PAC. A CISF officer said this would also save the government money as it would have had to pay the CISF for the security cover.

Assistant inspector general, CISF, Hemendra Singh said the Aqua Line would be the second Metro corridor in NCR that the CISF will not secure. The Rapid Metro in Gurugram, run by the Haryana government, is secured by a private agency. The CISF, however, passengers who enter the Delhi Metro from the Rapid Metro will be frisked again. “Similar procedures will be followed for Aqua Line,” an officer said.