Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung has directed Commissioner of Police, Alok Kumar Verma, to resolve the issue of defunct CCTV cameras in the city on an urgent basis. Reportedly, as many as 50 per cent of CCTV cameras installed by the Delhi Police across the national Capital are non-functional.
During a recent law and order meeting, Verma had told Jung that many times, CCTV cameras were damaged due to digging of roads. He had further stated that there was a need for some long-term measures, including placing the cables in conduits, which could be laid down across gantries, Metro pillars and flyovers.
The Delhi Police had installed a total of 4,064 CCTV cameras in the city. Of them, nearly 2,000 are defunct. The startling statistics came to light after the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, (ECIL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Union Government, informed the Delhi Police top brass that 50 cameras had become non-functional due to digging of roads. ECIl was entrusted with the task of installing and maintaining these cameras.
The CCTV cameras were installed to keep a track of various activities in 56 market places, courts, check-posts and VVIP areas — 78 in the Supreme Court, 35 in the Delhi High Court, 440 in five district courts, 42 in VP House, 35 in Raj Niwas and 21 in Union Home Minister’s residence. The police had also installed as many as 1.6 lakh more cameras in collaboration with private bodies and individuals under the community policing initiative.
Now, the force has planned to install 3,921 cameras across VVIP routes. The technical committee has approved the project, estimated to cost Rs 221.69 crore. The administrative approval is pending. In addition, 81 CCTV cameras will be installed inside and outside the Delhi Police Headquarters at a cost of Rs 1.65 crore.
“A total of 1,320 CCTV cameras will be installed at Pancharipuri, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, Parliament Street, Mandir Marg and Paharganj, at a cost of Rs 74.30 crore,” a senior police officer said. The project has already been approved and the work has been allotted to ECIL.
