The Dilsukhnagar blasts taught the law-enforcing agencies many a lesson, yet it remains a moot point if they are equipped to prevent such incidents in future or handle operations, post-attacks.
No police officer is in a position to give a proper answer, and the reasons are many. “We are saddled with inadequate infrastructure and a heavy load of the regular law and order maintenance work,” say senior police officials on condition of anonymity.
Condemned vehicles allotted to the field-level staff in the Cyberabad Commissionerate is a classic instance of the poor facilities the police force is equipped with, especially when they are expected to reach the crime scene quickly and respond swiftly to take further action.
“Forget about coordinating with other agencies in case of a bomb blast, we are not sure of reaching a crime scene quick enough because vehicles may break down,” says a police officer.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand has already written to the government seeking replacement of all condemned vehicles since better mobility is a prerequisite for police. He has also sought permission to exempt the Cyberabad Police from the Finance Department’s restrictions on release of funds.
Dilsukhnagar, which witnessed explosion of two improvised explosive devices last year, and the nearby Sai Baba temple where terrorist detonated a bomb in 2002, come under the Cyberabad Commissionerate. There are scores of such vulnerable places in the area, yet the local police have no proper vehicles to reach people in emergency.
Though the government promised that funds would be released to install surveillance cameras at all public places and routes, as they provided valuable leads in many sensational offences, the promises remain on paper even a year after the blasts.
While there are still several crowded junctions along internal roads requiringsurveillance cameras, some of the 355 cameras located on trunk routes are not functioning, thanks to the ongoing Metro Rail work.
The Hyderabad Police will soon have a commandant centre with trained policemen to handle emergencies.
