The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority will install 1,000 new surveillance cameras at 200 locations across the city this year under the second phase of the smart city project, said officials. Officials said they will focus on traffic junctions as well as areas where the movement of people will increase in the future such as new sectors.
Some of the areas proposed for the installation of cameras include Golf Course Extension Road, stretches between sectors 80 and 95, and Manesar, they said. PK Aggarwal, a senior official from the smart city division of GMDA, said, “In the first phase of the project, 1,200 cameras were installed across the city. Now we will install 1,000 more cameras this year. We are planning to install cameras at 200 locations, for which we are also consulting with the police department. The list of areas is yet to be finalised, but our aim is to install cameras at busy junctions in the city to monitor traffic violations, areas where more crimes are reported, with which the police department is helping us, and places where footfall is likely to increase in the future.”
Aggarwal said they plan to install three types of cameras–automatic number plate recognition cameras, facial recognition cameras and general surveillance cameras. However, GMDA and the police department are yet to finalise which type of camera is to be installed at which location.
Residents of new sectors in the city have often raised the issue of security in their neighborhoods, with instances of snatching and stalking reported from many colonies.
Praveen Malik, vice-president of United Association of New Gurugram, a body comprising representatives from 40 housing societies in sectors 77 to 90, said, “We have raised the issue of safety and security in newer sectors many times with authorities. There are many areas around the sector dividing roads of sector 93/94 where there are no proper streetlights or security systems. Instances of eve-teasing, anti-social elements following cars, or thieves snatching valuables have become common in these areas. Residents do not feel safe venturing out late in the evening.”
The authority has been working to develop e-intelligence infrastructure in the city by installing different types of cameras. Last year, GMDA installed 1,200 cameras as part of the first phase of the smart city project, which helped improve general surveillance and traffic rule enforcement, said officials.
Some of the prominent locations where cameras for detecting traffic violations have been installed include Bakhtawar Chowk, Rezangla Chowk, MG Road, Galleria Market, Iffco Chowk Metro station, HUDA City Centre, Rajiv Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Bristol Chowk, Vatika Chowk, Signature Towers, Hero Honda Chowk, and IMT Chowk.
“With the cameras installed in the first phase, traffic surveillance and general surveillance has improved a lot in the city. Now, we can issue at least 40,000 challans for traffic violations every month. Earlier, many traffic violations would go unnoticed, and the city roads were not as safe. We are hoping that over the next few months, this figure will reduce with more people following traffic norms,” added Aggarwal.
