Police issue a letter to boat owners at Colaba, ordering them to follow several security guidelines and bear the entire cost
Police issue a letter to boat owners at Colaba, ordering them to follow several security guidelines and bear the entire cost
Cameras seem to be the only solution for thwarting untoward incidents. Following the 26/11 terror attacks, the BMC plans to install CCTV cameras at prominent public places, the Railway Protection Force will place 13,000 Wi-Fi cameras inside Western and Central Railway trains and stations. And now, the Colaba police have ordered boat owners in Colaba to install CCTV cameras at the jetties.
However, it's the boat owners who will have to bear the cost of installing the cameras. According to the letter forwarded by the Colaba police, a copy of which is with MiD DAY, boat owners have also been asked to maintain records of regular travellers, issue photo passes and note addresses of travellers, frisk bags as well as hire security on the boats.
'Ridiculous'
The guidelines have irked the boat owners. Narendra Padte, a boat owner at the Gateway Of India, said, "It is ridiculous to expect us to install CCTV cameras. This is not our job, it is the government's job. It is high time they start thinking about us. We have no other option, but to go on a strike or hold a morcha. Our business has anyway suffered badly due to the terror strikes."
A spokesperson of the Gat-eway Elephanta Jal-Vahatuk Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit said, "The guidelines are not feasible for our members. We'll fix an appointment with senior officials and decide the future course of action."
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Carrot and stick
But the Colaba police defended its decision. "We cannot provide security to everyone. The boat owners need to take the onus," said a senior officer. The police have promisedu00a0 to re-open jetty no 4, which is more spacious, if the boat owners follow the guidelines. It has been shut since 26/11. At present, the boat owners used jetty numbers 2 and 3.
The police guidelines
> Install CCTV cameras at jetties
> Hire security men inside the boats
> Issue photo passes for regular travellers
> Maintaining records u2013 picture, address and work details of regular commuters
> Frisk bags
> Issue ID cards to workers
> Ensure that traveller going for sightseeing return in the boat
Usual approximate monthly earnings of boat owners: Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000
Earnings Post 26/11:
Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000
Price of a CCTV camera:
Rs 1 lakh to 2 lakh
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