Mayur Vihar Ph 1: Security in jeopardy
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Mayur Vihar Ph 1: Security in jeopardy

A recce of Mayur Vihar Phase 1 by City Spidey reveals how deployment of overworked, undertrained and underpaid security personnel at major housing complexes jeopardises the safety of residents.

Mayur Vihar Ph 1: Security in jeopardy

Security in Mayur Vihar Phase 1 societies seems to be in pretty bad shape, as City Spidey finds out. 

After the murder of a 65-year-old retired government employee at Samachar Apartments a few days back, City Spidey decided to conduct a survey of the security arrangements of other societies in the vicinity. 

Our reporter visited at least six residential societies and what emerged was quite alarming. The security agencies that send these guards don’t bother to teach even rudimentary security techniques before deploying them. The RWAs, too, do not question the credentials of the guards who man their gates. 

During a visit to Samachar Apartments, City Spidey learnt that once a visitor gains entry into the complex, he or she is free to enter any flat, and there is no provision for keeping an eye on their movements. The guards don’t even care to check whether the visitor has filled in the entry register. Often, the intercom is not used to gather details about the visitor from the flat owners. 

Ratnesh Mishra, 19, who began his career as a security guard this month, has been deployed at Kirti Apartment in Mayur Vihar Phase 1 Extension. Speaking to City Spidey, he said, “I don’t really have any experience as a security guard. I came to Delhi in search of a job and was deployed here on July 20. No training was given to me.” He adds that some senior colleagues had given him a rundown on the basics of the job.         

City Spidey continued its investigation and visited various other apartments, such as Lovely, Nirman, United India and Vardhman. In certain societies, only one guard was found on duty. A single guard was busy managing the entry register, the intercom and the gate. When our reporter asked, whether he was the only one on duty, he replied, “The other guard was running some errands for the family of some RWA office bearer.” 

The problems don’t end there. Security guards usually have a 12-hour work shift, but due to overtime incentives, most of them even work for 18-24 hours. The vital question is: Is it at all possible for a security guard to stay agile and alert for such long hours?  

The monthly wages are also abysmally low, as found out by City Spidey. Conversations with them revealed that very few security guards earned more than Rs 9,000 a month. And malpractices abound. Karu Sekh, a security guard deployed at Vardhaman Apartments, recounted how the security agency that hired him forced him to sign on blank papers. He said that he is paid a paltry Rs 7,000 per month, and does not know what amount the agency charges from the RWA for his services.