HYDERABAD: Close on the heels of terrorist attacks in London last month, the city police have received an alert from the Centre asking them to be prepared with an action plan to meet any eventuality in case of a re-run of such strikes here.

As the Scotland Yard police could track down London attack suspects based on the footage of video cameras fixed at the railway and bus stations, the city police have turned their focus on installing surveillance cameras at important places - public and private where people's movement is high.

A surveillance camera has already been functioning at the Lake Police out-post on the Necklace Road for the past two years. Following this, a vehicle-mounted Integrated Mobile Video Surveillance System was also developed to help in remote video monitoring of processions, crime scenes, polling stations, VIP convoys, etc.

Police hopeful

Earlier, a plan to install surveillance cameras at five important junctions to keep a tab on law violators did not materialise due to lack of funds. In the wake of the latest alert and promise of funds from the Centre for buying surveillance and security gadgets under the police modernisation scheme, the police are hopeful of executing their plan this time.

To begin with, the police have begun an exercise to evaluate the existing security apparatus to deal with terrorist attacks. Police top brass concede that the available security paraphernalia is totally inadequate.

"Frankly speaking, we are nowhere when it comes to handling such strikes," admitted an official, calling for a revamp in all spheres - from an ill-equipped control room with few telephone lines to the CLUES team having a single vehicle.

Save for Rakshak and Blue Colt teams, the city police do not have alternative mobile parties to reach a scene of offence at the earliest. "To tackle panic situations during bomb attacks, networking of mobile parties, control room and forensic teams is critical," he pointed out.

Air surveillance

Police authorities are contemplating constitution of emergency response teams, improving infrastructure at the control room and putting in place a plan to seal off borders and check vehicles during a crisis. Though cost is a constraint, air surveillance proposal too is under consideration. "Instead of buying helicopters, we can strike a deal with other agencies to use their choppers in case of an emergency", the senior official explained.

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