According to railway officials, the new cameras will not only have improved image quality, but will also cover more locations in the station premises, including the circulating area, reservation counters and entry-exit gate on the Raja Bahadur Mill Road.
At present, the station has 34 CCTV cameras installed at the platforms, main entrance gate, ticket windows, parcel office and other prominent places. These CCTV cameras are connected to a control room which is monitored round the clock by the railway protection force (RPF).
“We are also replacing the existing cameras in the premises along with the installation of the additional ones at new locations which were never under surveillance. The new cameras will provide clearer images, especially of people and smaller objects like baggage,” said an official from the Central Railway administration.
The official further said the older CCTV cameras in thestation’s premisescan be taken out and installed at other prominent stations including Shivajinagar, Miraj and Chinchwad. However, a plan for the same has still not been finalized.
Apart from CCTV cameras, the railway administration has also procured additional metal detectors that will be fixed at the main entrance of the station. Currently, the RPF staff conducts random checks and the metal detectors at themain gate and the entrance of the reservation counter are used to scan the baggage. To check each and every bag is a tiresome process, said the official.
More than one lakh passengers board trains from the station every day. The Pune railway division operates about 150 trains including long distance and intercity trains to Mumbai. In addition, 42 trips of Lonavla-bound local trains are also operated from the station.
The administration has also planned to restrict the entry and exit to the station through unauthorized/illegal spots. An official said that although the station has authorized entry-exit gates, people still enter and exit from unauthorized openings/spots. “The administration is planning to prevent passengers from using such spots by appointing RPF staff at these points, especially during rush hours. Such spots are located on both sides of the station,” an official said.
The official further said the illegal entry-exit points are vulnerable as people land directly on the rail track. “There are more chances of mishaps at these spots. People should avoid using such entry points,” said the official.