Noida Metro Rail Corporation will install CCTV cameras in all lifts across the 21 stations of the Aqua Line, with the work expected to begin in the new year and finish within two to three months after commencement.
The decision follows a May incident at Sector 76 Metro station in which around 10 passengers were trapped inside a lift for nearly 20 minutes after it malfunctioned. A senior woman reportedly fell ill during the incident before an NMRC team reached the lift and evacuated the passengers.
NMRC officials told Live Hindustan that one camera will be installed in every lift. The corporation has started the process and is expected to issue a tender soon. Officials said the cameras would allow staff to monitor lifts continuously and respond more quickly if passengers face an emergency or if a lift stops working.
The Aqua Line, which connects Noida and Greater Noida, has 21 stations and approximately 85 lifts, with four to five lifts installed at each station. The line was inaugurated on 25 January 2019, while passenger services began on 26 January. Cameras were installed in most other areas of the stations at the time, but the lifts were not covered by the surveillance network.
The proposed installation will add lift interiors to the station-monitoring system nearly seven years after the Aqua Line opened. The move also follows directions reportedly issued by Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety Janak Kumar Garg during a safety review at Greater Noida Depot station on 28 August. The inspection included discussions on safety arrangements at metro stations, according to the report.
The reported gap is not limited to the Aqua Line. The Blue and Magenta lines also connect Noida with Delhi, serving routes towards Dwarka and Janakpuri respectively. The report said that none of the 13 stations on the Noida sections of these two lines currently has cameras inside its lifts, and that most Delhi Metro station lifts also do not have such cameras.
For passengers, CCTV coverage inside lifts is intended to improve the speed of identifying a breakdown or a medical emergency. However, the installation will operate alongside the existing lift maintenance and emergency-response systems; the source report does not provide details of the tender value, camera specifications, recording period or changes to maintenance contracts.
NMRC is expected to release the tender shortly. Officials said installation would begin in the new year and that the work across the Aqua Line could be completed within two to three months of starting.
