After gangrape, DDA identifies 30+ CCTV locations at Aastha Kunj

The exercise was carried out as part of a wider security assessment of DDA parks following the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old girl

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) along with Delhi police has identified more than 30 locations where CCTV cameras need to be installed at south Delhi’s Aastha Kunj Park after finding that none of the existing cameras in the 200-acre green space are currently operational, officials aware of the security audit said.

Aastha Kunj, spread across more than 200 acres, has several secluded stretches and wooded areas, making surveillance difficult, officials said. (HT Photo)

The exercise was carried out as part of a wider security assessment of DDA parks following the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj on September 21. Officials said they have marked out vulnerable stretches and locations inside the park where cameras would be required to improve surveillance.

The findings assume significance as a wider DDA audit has classified 190 of its 736 parks as “high-risk”, with Aastha Kunj among them. The audit found that only 16 DDA parks currently have CCTV cameras, while 323 require additional camera coverage. As many as 520 parks were also found to require improved lighting.

Police said that for instance, in a 20-acre park, Roshanara Bagh, more than 21 CCTVs were found working.

Aastha Kunj, spread across more than 200 acres, has several secluded stretches and wooded areas, making surveillance difficult, officials said. The police have identified locations covering key entry and exit points and vulnerable stretches where CCTV coverage would help track movement inside and around the park.

The DDA audit also found that 134 parks require armed guards, while night patrolling has been started in 245 major parks. Bike patrolling has been initiated in all parks classified as high-risk.

The authority classified 190 parks as high-risk, 258 as medium-risk and 288 as low-risk. The high-risk category includes parks where officials found concerns such as night-time infiltration, local nuisance, encroachment, crime-prone surroundings, dense forest areas and drug-related activity.

The audit was completed within a week of lieutenant governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu directing the DDA to assess security at its parks. The exercise also found that 163 parks require gates to be made lockable, while 399 need repairs or replacement of missing boundary grills.

The DDA began its work on improving security infrastructure, with lighting work being taken up on an immediate basis in 231 parks and already completed in 106. The authority has also started preparing standard operating procedures for patrolling, guard performance, attendance, incident reporting and coordination with police.