The city is set to get mobile watchtowers to keep an eye on anti-social elements. Mumbai police had set up permanent watchtowers in 2015 in Colaba, CST area and the Metro junction, with the plan being that armed cops equipped with wireless sets would man them
Illustration/Ravi Jadhav
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The city is set to get mobile watchtowers to keep an eye on anti-social elements. Mumbai police had set up permanent watchtowers in 2015 in Colaba, CST area and the Metro junction, with the plan being that armed cops equipped with wireless sets would man them. After the installation, for three months it all went as per the plan; but later, the personnel deployed at the watchtowers were called back to their respective police stations.
The force has now decided to dismantle existing watchtowers (made of iron) and rebuild them with wheels underneath, so that they can be moved around as per the requirement.
The permanent towers are in Colaba's Badhwar Park (from where 10 Pakistani terrorists entered for the 26/11 attacks), Regal Cinema junction, Eros Cinema junction, Hutatma Chowk, Metro Cinema junction and CST. They are 20 feet high, allowing the police to monitor areas in a 200-metre radius.
ACP (special branch) Dr Ravindra Shisve came up with the idea when he was the DCP (zone 1).
After installing these towers, cops got complaints from a heritage committee that the towers in front of CST and at Hutatma Chowk are obstructing the beauty of the structures. Cops dismantled the one in front of CST and set it up at Azad Maidan.
JCP (law and order) Deven Bharti said, "We are waiting for funds. Once we get them, we will convert all permanent watchtowers into portable ones, so that they can be moved to wherever needed. And if not, then we will keep them on standby at the nearby police station."
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