3 yrs on, CCTV project yet to complete; Fariabad police demand 566 cameras

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, March 20

The project to install 1,500 CCTV cameras, which was launched in 2019-20, under the Smart City project in the city is nowhere near completion. The police have asked the authorities concerned to provide another 566 cameras for the project, which was launched to improve law and order in the city.

836 cameras functioning

• The number of cameras installed in the city was nearly 1,200 two years ago
• An official of the district administration said only 836 CCTVs are functioning
• The network is known as red light violation detection and is used to keep vigil in the city
• Several cameras were rendered non-functional due to poor maintenance, thefts and infrastructure projects such as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

Sources in the police said the number of cameras installed in the city was nearly 1,200 two years ago, but several of these were pull down or rendered non-functional due to poor maintenance, thefts and infrastructure projects such as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. At present, only 836 CCTVs are functioning, an official of the district administration said.

The camera network, which is known as red light violation detection (RLVD) system, are monitored through an integrated command control centre (ICCC) at Sector 20. The network has been most useful to check traffic violations. The footage of the CCTV cameras regarding traffic violation is recorded and passed to the traffic police that issue postal challans as per the norms.

The network has also come handy in nabbing criminals and other miscreants, the police said. “We have raised a demand for the installation of 566 cameras at important intersections, and entry and exit points of various localities for enhancing vigil across the city,” Sube Singh, spokesperson of the police, said.

Meanwhile, officials in the police claimed that the process of issuing postal challans had taken a hit as several cameras are non-functional. A majority of postal challans were being issued on the basis of photographs taken by the traffic police personnel. A senior traffic police official said a total of over 1.35 lakh postal challans carrying a penalty of Rs 2.38 crore were imposed in 2022.

“The number of these challans issued till February this year is 28,103. A penalty of Rs 50.84 lakh has been imposed for various violations,” he added.

However, many persons have raised concern over the postal challan system. SK Sharma, coordinator of the NGO ‘Road Safety Organisation’, said he was recently issued a challan, although he didn’t break any traffic rule.

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