By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi Metro Monday declared a high alert across its 62 stations and removed all the 250 dustbins on platforms after an anonymous caller said a bomb had been planted at a station. It was later declared a hoax call.
“An anonymous caller said a bomb had been planted at the busy Rajiv Chowk station at around 7.15 p.m.,” a Metro spokesperson said.
“The bomb disposal squad, sniffer dogs, and extra security forces were pressed into service at the station. After searching the station for around one and a half hours it was declared a hoax call. Train services were however not hit,” the official told IANS.
“We had removed all the dustbins from the platforms as a precautionary measure. Those outside the platforms are being regularly checked,” said a Metro spokesperson.
The Delhi Metro has been regularly conducting mock drills to tackle any terror threat. It has set up over 1,200 close circuit television (CCTV) sets on the platforms to monitor passenger movement.
“Paramilitary forces are keeping a close eye on passengers and scrutinizing everyone before allowing them to enter,” the spokesman said.
In the second phase, to be operational before the 2010 Commonwealth Games over a network of 125 km, all trains would have cameras inside the coaches.
Presently Delhi Metro runs over a network of 65 km and ferries over 700,000 passengers daily.
Of the five bombs that went off in the city Saturday evening, killing at least 23 people, some were planted inside dustbins.