26 June,2009 09:35 AM IST | | Shashank Shekhar
January 2009: It was New Year and the Noida cops were busy sniffing the mouths of motorists. Reason: The force had just two breathalysers, one of which was out of order.
Come 2010, and the cops in the suburban Uttar Pradesh towns are going state-of-the-art with their equipment.
Ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year, the Noida authority has asked the state government to facilitate with satellite maps of the city, global positioning systems devices, moving close-circuit television cameras, geo-location devices and modern fire fighting equipment.
"Due to Noida's proximity to the games site, it is crucial to equip the city police with modern equipments. As the town will host the cycling training session at the expressway, we don't want to take any chance in terms of security," a senior Noida police official told MiD DAY. The enhanced security scenario will also be a boon for thousands of Delhiites, who travel daily to their offices in the satellite town.
"We will make all efforts to improve the infrastructure and the security scenario in Noida. Hotels, hospitals, markets, malls, parking lots, metro stations and recreational parks will be under tight surveillance," the official added.
Apart from enhancing the fire power the police force is also set to get more hands. About 2000 policemen and 200 commandoes will be added to the force to guard the town in the wake of the Commonwealth Games.
Noida authority, which had earler installed CCTV cameras in the markets and malls for long, has finally procured seven cameras. Sector 18 Market, Atta Market, Spice Mall crossing and Sector 12/22 crossing have been brought under CCTV surveillance.
To cover other crucial spots the police have demanded 200 CCTV cameras.
