The runway crime rate, attack on isolated women IT workers in the IT corridors of Hitech city, Gachi Bowli, high revenue yielding zones of state capital city of Hyderabad has finally found attention of the city fathers and the crime busters.
Exactly few months after a woman software engineer was gang raped, in Madhapur, the Cyberabad police announced the multi pronged Integrated IT Corridor Safety and Security Plan. ‘ Strangely it is the mid evenings and late afternoons that attacks occur as Hitech city is always overactive at nights and mornings ‘ says a hapless victim.
After a long gestation, the chal–ta-hai attidude of city police has also taken a twist for the better of the IT workers (70 percent are women software workers) in the grand 75 sq kms radius area of Gachi Bowli, Kondapur, Hitech city , Madhapur etc .
As part of the new plan, the police have made registration of all auto rickshaws and cabs moving in Cyberabad compulsory, and require them to carry a QR coded sticker.A helpline for women, increase in public transport services like buses and separate inspector for the IT corridor are some of the salient features of the plan.
The women IT professionals working in and around Madhapur in Cyberabad can feel much safer now as the Cyberabad police have chalked out elaborate security measures to ensure their safety said the DGP Prasad Rao who insisted that the women must learn self defense . Being aware of possible danger and being well equipped gives a sense of security. Carrying pepper spray will be helpful when travelling in cabs and auto rickshaws.
The police should closely monitor the cabs and autos that enter the IT corridor to pick up passengers. “The women employees should make it a point to be in the company of their colleagues to prevent any untoward incident while traveling,” he said after flagging off five new patrols specific to IT corridor.
Study reveals vulnerability in Hitech city
The study revealed that about 40,000 passengers travel either by auto rickshaws or cabs in the IT corridor, and 10,000 auto rickshaws and cabs operate in the area. But the growing menace was the lack of public transport and dependence on car pool. ‘If you missed your transport, then God alone could save you from the menace of private operators’ said a young software professional who had escaped being mugged twice and attacks once in the deserted IT corridors., The study revealed that about 40,000 passengers travel either by auto rickshaws or cabs in the IT corridor, and 10,000 auto rickshaws and cabs operate in the area.
The Multi pronged security plan includes
- Increased public transport with the support of APSRTC,
- Controlling private transport by incorporating special registration system for cabs and autos operating in the IT corridor,
- Enhancing visible policing by employing more personnel,
- Beefing up the surveillance mechanism by installing more CCTV cameras with fiber connectivity to command centre and raising awareness through short films,
- Pamphlets and publicizing help line numbers.
- A dedicated call centre under the chairmanship of additional deputy commissioner of police
- An information technology (IT) forum for enhancing security of women employees in the IT Corridor.
Collaborative Action hailed
Both police and IT honchos urged the IT employees, especially women, to prefer APSRTC as their mode of transport as it was safe compared to other private transport facilities. Plans were afoot to set up pre-paid auto stands like the ones at major railway stations.
The authorities assured that it would be risk-free since only auto drivers whose background check has been checked and registered would be allowed at pre-paid stands. In the IT corridor, a team, comprising of 80 dedicated police personnel, would perform their duties and the government would spend Rs two crore per month for meeting security needs of the corridor.
The Cyberabad police have started a women helpline 9494731100.
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