Residents of Virar were left irritated and sleepless after an alarm at a local Canara Bank ATM blared continuously for five hours on Thursday morning. The alarm, designed as a security measure, was set off around 3 a.m. in a normally quiet residential area, causing major disturbances for people in the vicinity.
The ATM, located at Ramchandra Apartment in the Fulpada area of Virar East, is a part of Gandhi Chowk’s bustling neighborhood. Despite being situated in a residential apartment building, the ATM site lacks an on-site security guard, relying instead on a system of automated alarms and sensors to deter potential intrusions. Unfortunately, when the alarm started blaring in the early hours, it did not just startle the residents but kept them awake and worried for the next several hours. To the frustration of the locals, neither the bank nor the police arrived at the scene to address the issue.
Alarm Begins in the Middle of the Night
Residents reported that the alarm started suddenly around 3 a.m., and the loud, piercing sound immediately caused panic among nearby residents. Many feared that a security breach or robbery might be taking place at the ATM, given the lack of on-site security and the sudden alarm. When locals went to investigate, they found the ATM area empty but the alarm blaring non-stop.
Initially, some residents assumed that help would arrive shortly, expecting either bank officials or local authorities to respond to what was clearly a loud and persistent alarm. However, hours passed without any sign of assistance. By morning, the alarm was still ringing, having created hours of disturbance that left people exhausted, especially as the noise made it difficult for them to sleep. The alarm’s relentless sound finally stopped around 8 a.m., but the absence of any response left many residents feeling frustrated and ignored.
Local Response and Frustration
Throughout the night and into the morning, many residents tried to reach out to the local authorities. Calls were made to the Virar Police to report the disturbance and request a check-up on the ATM. Residents reported that, despite their efforts, there was no response from the police or the bank.
Local residents voiced their frustration, highlighting that incidents with the alarm at this particular ATM have occurred before, though not for this extended length of time. They shared their distress over the lack of action from both the bank and law enforcement, particularly given that it continued for hours without anyone addressing it.
“This is not the first time we’ve had issues with this ATM alarm,” said one resident. “If there are repeated problems with the system, the bank should be proactive about fixing it. We don’t have the luxury of losing sleep night after night just because of an ATM malfunction.”
Technical Issues with the ATM Alarm
The alarm system at this Canara Bank ATM is designed to activate under certain security conditions. If multiple people enter the ATM booth, the sensors may be triggered, as they are meant to alert nearby residents or security personnel to any suspicious activity. However, in this instance, it remains unclear what actually caused the alarm to go off at 3 a.m. without any evident security breach or technical maintenance scheduled for the site.
Canara Bank’s local branch manager, Abhilash Mishra, addressed the issue after receiving several complaints from locals. He admitted that they had not been aware of the problem in real time, as no official alert or alarm status update had been transmitted to the branch. Mishra stated that a technical team would be dispatched to examine the ATM system for any malfunctions or sensor errors, assuring residents that measures would be taken to prevent future disturbances.
“We apologize for the inconvenience this caused our customers and the residents in the area,” Mishra said. “Our team will investigate why the alarm rang for so long and take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Police Response Lacking
Local residents were equally disappointed with the lack of police response to the alarm. While many of them had called the police to report the disturbance and request assistance, they felt that the situation was ignored. Assistant Police Inspector Sonwalkar of the Virar Police Station later commented that no formal complaint had been filed with the bank or passed to their team regarding the ATM alarm. He acknowledged that while residents did report the noise, the lack of official information from the bank about a security issue likely resulted in no immediate response.
For some residents, this response only added to their frustration. They argued that if a loud alarm goes off for hours in a residential area, police should at least check the situation for any potential problems, regardless of whether it’s a technical glitch or a security threat. “We called the police because we weren’t sure if it was safe to just ignore the noise,” a resident explained. “But if no one is going to check on it, then what’s the point of having an alarm system at all?”
Call for Improved Security Measures
Following this incident, many locals have requested that Canara Bank consider enhancing security at the ATM site. Some suggested that having a security guard or even installing a video monitoring system might help, as it would provide a quicker response in cases of technical malfunction or security threats.
Residents also urged the bank to conduct regular maintenance checks on the alarm system to prevent such incidents in the future. They shared concerns about the recurring alarm issues at the site, which have caused frequent but usually brief disturbances. Now, with the prolonged alarm incident fresh in their minds, locals are adamant that the bank needs to prioritize both the security and the convenience of those who live nearby.
Moving Forward
This incident has highlighted the challenges of balancing security needs with community welfare, especially in residential areas. While ATM alarms are crucial for preventing break-ins or suspicious activity, technical issues and unresponsiveness can turn these measures into a source of frustration and inconvenience for nearby residents.
Residents are hoping that both Canara Bank and local authorities will take this matter seriously, implementing more effective security measures and improving the response time for such situations. As for the bank, officials are promising a thorough review of their security protocols, along with any technical adjustments needed for the alarm system.
