A day after launch, speed monitor toppled in Dharamsala

Just a day after its inauguration, a newly installed speed monitoring device was damaged in Dharamsala after being hit by an unidentified vehicle. The Vehicle Actuated Speed Display (VASD) and its attached surveillance camera were rendered non-functional in the incident, which reportedly occurred near the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education office on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

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The device was part of the “Chakshu Chakra” initiative— a Command, Control and Crime Response Centre inaugurated on Wednesday by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at the Superintendent of Police’s office.

The Kangra police have launched an investigation to identify the vehicle involved. Shalini Agnihotri, SP Kangra, said an inquiry is underway and ruled out deliberate vandalism, calling it a probable case of negligent driving. She added that 27 such devices have been installed across main roads in the district and all others are functioning properly.

Surveillance footage is being reviewed to trace the vehicle involved in the mishap. The “Chakshu Chakra” initiative was introduced to strengthen road safety, enable real-time surveillance, and enhance crime response mechanisms across the Kangra district. The police emphasized that this isolated incident will not affect the functioning of the larger network.