Delhi women's safety and security measures

Authorities in Delhi are implementing measures to improve the safety of women and minors in public spaces. Following directives from Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) began conducting safety audits of its parks, inspecting 300 locations to evaluate CCTV coverage, lighting, and guard deployment. The DDA also increased night-shift patrols and addressed dark spots through vegetation pruning and additional lighting.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court of India took suo motu cognizance of recent incidents and issued mandates for the Delhi-NCR region. The court ordered the Delhi Police to conduct immediate security audits and create sensitivity maps for every police district within four weeks. These mandates include auditing lighting and CCTV systems at metro stations, bus terminals, and railway stations, as well as providing reports on the status of fast-track special courts and the utilization of sexual offender databases.

The DDA has since completed a comprehensive security audit of 736 parks, a move prompted by a gang rape incident involving a 17-year-old girl in Aastha Kunj Park. The audit revealed significant vulnerabilities, noting that only 16 parks—approximately two percent—are currently equipped with CCTV cameras.

In response, the DDA has categorized the parks into high, medium, and low risk levels. For the 190 high-risk areas, the authority is commencing motorcycle patrols and deploying armed security guards in 134 parks. Further actions include improving lighting in 520 parks, installing locking mechanisms on gates in 163 locations, and implementing biometric attendance for security guards in 602 parks. The DDA is also working to improve coordination with local police by sharing staff contact details with law enforcement.