Helicopters can't monitor traffic, Mr Home Minister

Mumbai: The state government impressed by the New York Police Department may have grandiose plans of acquiring a helicopter exclusively for the city's police force, but what hampers the idea of using it for security and traffic surveillance are Mumbai's high rises and already stressed air-traffic procedures.
Aviation experts have scotched State Home Minister Jayant Patil's announcement of procuring a dedicated helicopter for the police.
"The major drawback will be the high-rise buildings and towers in the city," said aviation expert Vipul Saxena, adding that with a need to maintain a minimum 1,000 ft height from the tallest building, people and traffic will look like ants to the naked eye.
Since Mumbai does not have a dedicated corridor for helicopters to fly in, Saxena feels that the chopper would at best be effective in surveillance along the beaches.
"It will also come in handy conducting rescue operations from high-rise buildings in case of fire incidents/terrorist attacks and also for quick deployment of the police force," he said.
Col M P Chaudhary, a retired NSG commando, said, "Mumbai does not have a system like Singapore or Hong Kong, where every car can be monitored and its speed known through special CCTVs alone.
The cameras will also help identify traffic congestion, which is practically impossible with a chopper."
About transportation of cops, Chaudhary said, "A helicopter like a Chetak will not suffice since it can only seat two people. What the cops need is the expensive MI 8 or MI 14 that can carry at least 10 commandos."
23/06/09 Aditya Anand & Vinod Kumar Menon/MiD DAY

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jun 2009