The recent attacks by terrorists in Paris, Belgium, Istanbul, and Dhaka, clearly indicate that any city is vulnerable to the terror groups. Though the main terror-machinery and masterminds are located in far-flung countries such as Syria and Pakistan, the terror groups have developed the capacity to strike at will with the help of local sleeper cells. The recent unearthing of such a cell in Hyderabad justifies the statement.
In such a scenario, a question that crosses ones mind is -- how safe and secure is the port city of Visakhapatnam. The doubt comes especially after Director-General of Police (DGP) J.V. Ramudu recently said at a high-level conference that the city of Visakhapatnam, which has many vital installations, is vulnerable to fidayeen style attack from the sea side, like that of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
The City Police Commissionerate is grossly ill-staffed and the ratio of police and population is at all-time low. The average healthy police and population ratio is 1: 1000, but in the case of Visakhapatnam it is 0.0001: 1000.
As per the figures, the sanctioned strength, which includes civil and armed reserve police, of Visakhapatnam is 3,301 and the actual strength is 2,780.
It is going to drop further, as many would shortly retire, as the two-year extension by increasing the retirement age from 58 to 60 years, is coming to a close.
But at the same time the total strength of Hyderabad and Cyberabad put together is about 22,000 for a population of about 80 lakhs.
Visakhatpatnam till date does not have a single police station which can be classified as ‘A’ grade police station. Most of the police stations fall under D, E and F category.
CCTV coverage poor
Despite the best efforts made by the police, the CCTV coverage, which includes vital points such as the railway station and the APSRTC bus complex, is poor. Visakhapatnam Railway Station is categorised under international ‘A’ grade station with over 120 trains passing through on a daily basis. The average footfall exceeds 60,000 per day and the station has just got about 22 CCTV cameras, when the proposal was sent for at least 120 cameras.
Railway Protection Force is also grossly ill-staffed and the strength of the entire station is about 120 with around 10 officers. With about 120 men, the RPF has to take care of the station, the entire railway colony, the administration office and on train duty.
There are a number of unmanned and unauthorised entry points and the station with eight platforms is covered by about seven obsolete door frame metal detectors which are not manned.
The same is the case with APSRTC, which lacks all forms of security cover. There is no regular police picket, the CCTV coverage is minimal and no DFMDs.
But what is troubling the police is the CCTV coverage at public places and it is learnt that the DGP had insisted on bettering the coverage at the meeting.
Despite the police making an effort to bring the city under the CCTV coverage with the help of the AP Public Safety (measures) Enforcement Act-2013, the response from the stakeholders is lukewarm.
The police have identified about 1,500 odd establishments, which includes public places, ATMs, shopping malls, department stores, hotels and lodges, cinema theatres and guest houses, but the adherence level is just about 30 per cent, according to a senior police officer. “It is even less when it comes to apartment complexes.”
Marine police
It is not only that the police commissionerate and other security agencies such as the GRP and RPF that lack the required strength, even the Coastal Security Police is grossly ill-staffed.
The CSP has a sanctioned strength of 1,872 personnel for its 21 police stations along the coast in Andhra Pradesh and it has just 709 personnel including 100 officers.
Of the 18 fast patrol boats only 11 are operational, and the others need repairs, which has been stalled due to fund shortage.
