Feeling insecure, other condos step up security
Times of India | 29 October 2025From tightening security at gates and imposing restrictions on the entry of outsiders to increasing CCTVs, ramping up lighting and gate barriers, training emergency response teams, and deploying additional security guards, the residents are fortifying their complexes.
The Siddha Pines Association of Apartment Owners on Rajarhat Main Road came out with an SOP about two days after the Sonarpur incident. Manav Mehra, president of the association, said: "To ensure the safety and security of all residents during any incident involving unauthorised entry or mob violence, we made an emergency SOP. We have asked the security guards not to engage physically with any outsider. They have been instructed to lock entry and exit gates immediately upon sensing a threat. In moments of panic, discipline and coordination save lives."
The residents in high-rises like Siddha Pines and South City Complex in south Kolkata have also kept ready emergency contact lists — the numbers of the local police station, security supervisor, help desk and nearest hospital — handy.
The residents of South City Complex have convened a meeting this weekend to discuss how they can make their campus more secure. They are also framing an SOP. "Even though we have security measures in place, we are reviewing and planning to strengthen them further. We have also planned a training session for security guards," said Manoj Gupta, a resident.
The resident welfare association of Greenwood Elements Complex in New Town has already taken some measures after the mob violence at Deeshari Megacity in Sonarpur.
Dhrubajyoti Basak, a resident of the housing complex, said: "We have deployed additional security and installed more CCTV cameras. We have made it mandatory for all visitors to enter the campus through Mygate authorisation."
The residents of a few other housing complexes in Sonarpur have also drawn up a slew of preventive measures following the incident in their neighbourhood. A resident of White Meadows, situated opposite Deeshari Megacity, said: "Now it is mandatory for all visitors to register their entry into the campus with confirmation from a resident. We are also focusing on routine maintenance of CCTVs and reviewing security measures that we have taken."
Sudip Roychowdhury, a member of Daffodil Greens Home Owners' Association in Tollygunge, said: "We have already instructed the security men to stay more alert and act fast in the face of any unwanted incident like what happened at Sonarpur. We are putting in place an SOP whereby incidents like mob violence can be tackled jointly by the security guards and the residents." Goutam Roy, a resident of Golpark Housing, said, "We are planning to beef up security and put up more CCTVs for safety."
