Further enhancing the safety and security of students, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) in Mumbai has set up an integrated control and command (ICC) unit to monitor live feed streamed by closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras that have been installed in municipal schools. This is the first of its kind initiative by any civic body in the state.
Located below the fly-over-bridge in Bhayandar, the ICC unit which has been equipped with hi-tech apparatus is acting as a nerve centre by linking the entire network of CCTV cameras installed in all the 36 municipal-run schools under a centralised monitoring system.
“As of now CCTV cameras installed in eight schools have been linked and are being monitored in real-time, the remaining schools will be linked before the Teachers Day which falls on 5, September. Adequate manpower has been provided to monitor the live feeds. Any suspicious movement or activity that is spotted can be responded to in real-time for immediate action.” said municipal commissioner Sanjay Katkar.
In view of the ongoing unrest over the sexual assault of two minor girls at a school in Badlapur, the state government has issued a fresh set of guidelines to ensure children’s safety in all educational institutions.
Although the government has mandated compulsory installation of CCTV cameras and reviewing footage at least thrice a week, the MBMC has gone a step further by starting the ICC unit for real-time monitoring during the entire schooling hours.
Currently, the MBMC’s education department runs 36 municipal schools imparting education in Marathi, Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati and semi-English mediums up to the X standard to around 9,000 students which includes more than 4,000 girls
