Smart City project in Amritsar faces setback after series of CCTV battery thefts

The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) project, launched under the Smart City Mission at a cost of Rs 105 crore, has come under repeated attack from thieves, severely affecting the city’s surveillance system.

Over the past 26 months, miscreants have stolen nearly 750 batteries worth about Rs 50 lakh from CCTV camera units installed across Amritsar. Shockingly, several thefts occurred in high-security areas such as outside the DCP (Law and Order) office, GT Road near Guru Harkrishan School, DC office, Court Complex and Maqboolpura. In three incidents, thieves even took away four poles along with the cameras.

According to officials, the company executing the Smart City project has lodged 150 complaints at various police stations, but no recovery has been made so far. The thefts have forced authorities to directly connect around 200 CCTV cameras to the main electricity supply, bypassing the battery backup system. Consequently, cameras stop functioning during power cuts, disrupting 24x7 monitoring across the city.

Currently, 1,114 CCTV cameras are operational under the ICCC network. However, due to battery thefts, surveillance remains irregular at nearly 65 locations. Officials said thieves conduct a recce of the area, cut the main power supply and disable the battery backup before stealing the equipment.

The ICCC project, which began in February 2023, started facing thefts just months after installation. Reports reveal that batteries have been stolen from 125 different locations. At 30 sites, newly installed batteries were again stolen, while at another 40 sites, thieves managed to remove batteries, cables, network switches and UPS units despite added metal framing and security measures.

Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia termed the incidents a serious setback to a crucial city surveillance initiative. “The ICCC is vital for city safety. I will take up the matter with the Police Commissioner to ensure the culprits are caught and the stolen equipment recovered. We will also request intensified night patrolling,” he said.

Social activist Pawan Sharma said the repeated thefts have delayed the ICCC’s full-scale implementation and weakened Amritsar’s real-time security network. “It is a complete administrative failure,” he added.