Efforts are on to make Cubbon Park safer, with the number of streetlights almost doubled and over 100 CCTV cameras installed, as recommended by the city police.
At present, there are 350 streetlights and less than 10 CCTV cameras in the 192-acre park. Senior police officers have been complaining that most of the streetlights and cameras are along the motorable roads inside the park, leaving most parts of the park vulnerable spots, especially at night. The recommendations, made following the alleged rape of a woman in Cubbon Park in November last week, are yet to be implemented.
“There are large parts of the park with no lighting after dusk, making them hotspots of petty crimes and even stray incidents of sex work. We want most of the areas in the park lit,” a senior police officer said.
Mahantesh Murgod, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, said the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) would install an additional 250 streetlights, this time with LED lights. “Bescom will also be replacing the existing ones with LED,” he said.
He said the number of CCTV cameras to be installed is yet to be finalised. “We want to put up CCTV cameras on the streetlight poles itself so that both works can be done by laying a single OFC (optical fibre cable) and the digging work is minimised,” he said. The locations of the new streetlights and cameras will be decided in consultation with the police.
S. Umesh, president of the Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association, said while streetlights and CCTV cameras are welcome measures, the need of the hour is erecting a compound wall, as at Lalbagh. “As per the rules, Cubbon Park requires around 30 security guards and two supervisors at any point in time. But we have only eight guards now. Security needs to be beefed up,” he said.
Musical walk in the park
You can soon listen to soothing music while on your morning walk at Cubbon Park.
The Horticulture Department has decided to install sound systems on all the street lights along the walkpath, which will be used to play music during the morning walk hours of 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. “We have decided to play classical music and bhagavad gita during the morning walk hours, which will add to the experience of the walk,” said Mr. Murgod.
At present, there are 350 streetlights and less than 10 CCTV cameras in the 192-acre park. Senior police officers have been complaining that most of the streetlights and cameras are along the motorable roads inside the park, leaving most parts of the park vulnerable spots, especially at night. The recommendations, made following the alleged rape of a woman in Cubbon Park in November last week, are yet to be implemented.
“There are large parts of the park with no lighting after dusk, making them hotspots of petty crimes and even stray incidents of sex work. We want most of the areas in the park lit,” a senior police officer said.
Mahantesh Murgod, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, said the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) would install an additional 250 streetlights, this time with LED lights. “Bescom will also be replacing the existing ones with LED,” he said.
He said the number of CCTV cameras to be installed is yet to be finalised. “We want to put up CCTV cameras on the streetlight poles itself so that both works can be done by laying a single OFC (optical fibre cable) and the digging work is minimised,” he said. The locations of the new streetlights and cameras will be decided in consultation with the police.
S. Umesh, president of the Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association, said while streetlights and CCTV cameras are welcome measures, the need of the hour is erecting a compound wall, as at Lalbagh. “As per the rules, Cubbon Park requires around 30 security guards and two supervisors at any point in time. But we have only eight guards now. Security needs to be beefed up,” he said.
Musical walk in the park
You can soon listen to soothing music while on your morning walk at Cubbon Park.
The Horticulture Department has decided to install sound systems on all the street lights along the walkpath, which will be used to play music during the morning walk hours of 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. “We have decided to play classical music and bhagavad gita during the morning walk hours, which will add to the experience of the walk,” said Mr. Murgod.