Pragati Maidan to get new Delhi Metro crisis combat centre

A powerful security control room and crisis management centre for securing the Delhi Metro network and its passengers in the face of an emergency or sabotage will soon be created at the Pragati Maidan station here.
Officials said the proposed control centre, armed with latest electronic gadgetry like CCTV relay monitors and TV sets, dedicated wireless links and telephone lines and seating space for top crisis managers of central security agencies, CISF, Delhi Police and those from the Ministry of Home Affairs, will be established to counter any threat that emerges to the rapid rail transport network which witnesses an estimated 25 lakh footfalls every day.

A similar crisis management centre or 'war room' has been functioning till now at the Delhi Metro headquarters at Barakhamba Road here. But keeping in mind future challenges of the Metro network, the new place has been chosen for setting up the centre.
"The Pragati Maidan station premises of the Delhi Metro has many advantages when it comes to scrambling men and material in case of an emergency anywhere in the facility. The station also has ample space for creation of such a centre and is easy to approach by road," a senior official involved in the task said.
The station has been chosen as it also has a good number of Quick Reaction Team commandos of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which is the lead agency guarding over 130 stations of the Delhi Metro in the national capital region which includes neighbouring cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon.

"For marshalling reinforcements of special commando teams and their gadgets, the Pragati Maidan station was found to be the most suitable launchpad. Work is in progress to operationalise the centre soon," the official said.
The plan was mooted by the CISF some time back and after obtaining due approvals, the centre would be made functional 24x7 and would keep a vigil on any suspicious activity in the Metro network.
Sources said all the security control and command links of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will also be linked to the new centre so that it can get first-hand information about all the developments in the network in case of emergency.