Watchtower in Central Station

CHENNAI: A Railway Protection Force (RPF) head constable peers through a pair of binoculars from his vantage point atop a 17-foot watchtower erected at the passenger waiting area at the Central Railway Station. Add to that RPF personnel in bullet proof vests and armed with INSAS (Indian Small Arms System), the Indian version of AK 47, posted at entry and exit points.Besides, there are personnel manning security-related equipment such as CCTV network, baggage and vehicle scanners and metal detectors. The bomb disposal and sniffer dog squads and the civil defence wing have also been pressed into service.In the wake of the recent Mumbai terror attacks that left 26 persons dead and a general alert issued by the Intelligence Bureau, it is clear that the RPF is not prepared to take any chances as the city gears up for the 65th Independence Day celebrations. With an average of 13 lakh passengers and 900 trains passing through the Central Railway Station everyday, the RPF erected a watchtower on Sunday to intensify surveillance on Independence Day eve.“For the first time, we have erected a watchtower at the Central station,” S R Gandhi, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, Chennai, Southern Railway, told Express. “From the vantage point, the RPF constable posted at the mobile tower will be able to monitor the movements of passengers and others up to a range of 2 km,” he said. If there is any suspicious activity, the constable would alert the Quick Reaction Team and RPF personnel stationed in the area.RPF Inspector Thiruselvam said that the watchtower surveillance would also help prevent incidents of chain snatching, baggage theft and eve teasing at night.On the `45-crore Integrated Security System, which envisages a security-related equipment network for the 14 railway stations under Southern Railway, Gandhi said it was under implementation.