MHA’s plan for safe metros will fail without women on board

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) plans to design a comprehensive “safe city plan” in eight metropolitan cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. The idea is to create a concrete framework and accommodate necessary recommendations.

The MHA concluded the framework shall include, “33 percent reservation of women in police force, CCTV installation, employ women in police stations, create emergency response team, prevention of cyber-crime, identify hotspots, launch awareness campaigns via social media, live mobile counselling and track women safety apps developed by police authorities across cities”.

This ambitious plan and recommendations are ought to be applauded considering the incessant reporting on violence against women in India. However, before adopting short sighted goals it is crucial to identify long term goals and achieve greater good. Often plans are made and fail to achieve significant outcome. In most of the cases, such announcements are mere press releases- without any action driven end result. Better urban planning will ultimately help us build a safe city. The urgent need is to evaluate and understand how we may restructure a city to benefit women.

Women are not a homogeneous entity, it is crucial to understand our varied pattern and tracts of movement. We travel for various reasons and our activities differ from man. We may be a working woman or a homemaker, our movement does not restrict us to one mode of transportation or one specific route for our daily chores.

We often prefer walking to cover short distances, use public transport, alternative transport and private cars for work or personal errands. Therefore, safe bus routes, subway lines, well-lit streets, installation of functional CCTV, better public transport, disabled access friendly for the city are essential component of the planning process. Therefore, safety and security can be ensured only with well-equipped environmental plan and smart designing of urban spaces.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) or Designing Out Crime is “a set of design principles to deter crime” and reduce opportunities for crime. The four principles of CPTED are “natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement and maintenance”.

“Natural Surveillance”, concept is to “see and be seen”. If a person feels he/she will be seen committing a crime, there is less likelihood to commit the crime (sufficient street lights and landscape). The purpose of “natural access control” is to reduce the opportunity to commit a crime- deny offenders access to targets by reducing escape opportunity. “Territorial reinforcement” means maintain a clear distinction between private and public area. Well-lit property with fences, CCTV and signs instil fear and prevent criminal activity. “Maintenance” can be ensured by keeping the property clean and make necessary repair whenever required. Simple tricks like landscape maintenance, fixing worn out building and painting the property - the idea is to create a sense of ownership to deter criminals. A well-maintained property is often perceived as a responsible owner residing in the neighbourhood. 

Neglected, dilapidated and ill maintained buildings are breeding grounds for criminal activity. Therefore, to make our community safe preserving our property is essential. This model will reduce public expenditure and ensure safe city.

If we want to make a difference in our communities, we need to commit to the “long game” and change the environment that is suspected to be problematic. This will reduce crime hotspots and create a sense of guardianship to help deter crime. Along with sophisticated technology basic environmental design will provide cost effective assistance. Blending technology, environmental design and planned policing in urban spaces will definitely develop safe public spaces for women.

Politicians often promise and promote creation of “smart and safe city” before every election. Such empty promises go unreported. We fail to incorporate women in town planning process. Thus, failing to understand how women use "transport and land". Feedback from women and detecting the flaws in the infrastructure and planning will yield constructive outcome. Studies should be conducted by planning officers to understand the needs of a woman and henceforth look for solution to resolve them. In a free country like ours one should be able to move freely from point A to B. We often avoid walking at night alone or fell worried to commute freely at night due to constant fear of being attacked.

Only time will tell if the safe city plan proposed by the MHA will succeed. Although measures are taken to adopt technology, sustainable measures namely better footpaths, installing public toilets for women, street lights, involving women in safe city policy plans, environmental design through better landscaping, CCTV, enrolling women police officers, campaigns, sensitise citizens on community building and effective planning will ensure a sense of security and reduce the fear of crime.