Mumbai has added 50,000 CCTV cameras in just two months after the police co-opted commercial establishments and housing societies in December last year, even as the government’s official project languishes in red tape
The government is in the last leg of launching 7,000 cameras in Mumbai
As an ambitious government project to get over 12,000 CCTV cameras for Mumbai crawls through an atrophied bureaucracy, city police chief Param Bir Singh has managed to push private establishments, including housing societies, to install the digital eyes on their premises. In the past two months, these entities have added 50,000 CCTV cameras. Following the 26/11 terror attack, the government had drawn up a blueprint to improve surveillance in the city at a cost of about Rs 1,000 crore.
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In his order, police chief Param Bir Singh said CCTV cameras will help the cops in surveillance and easy detection of street crimes
Under the first phase of the project, 5,300 cameras were installed by 2016. The government is now in the last leg of launching another 7,000 cameras. Towards the end of 2020, Singh issued an order saying it was mandatory for housing societies, malls, religious places, petrol pumps, banks, ATMs, shopping complexes, educational institutions and multiplexes to cover their outer area with CCTV cameras. He said the cameras will help the police detect and curb street crimes.
The police commissioner said it was mandatory for these private establishments to have the surveillance devices on their premises under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and non-compliance could invite action. However, officers said there was no need for them to punish anyone.
“The response is very positive... Within two months, more than 50,000 cameras have been installed across the city apart from the existing CCTV surveillance,” said Vishwas Nangre Patil, joint commissioner of police (law and order). “We are aiming at around 3 lakh additional cameras which will cover the entire nook and corner of the city. The crime rate will go down drastically once the system is functional,” he added.
Local police stations are now trying to have access to the feeds in their respective areas
Driving home their point, police sources said they found that some of the housing societies near Mukesh Ambani’s home have not covered their outer area. Had there been CCTV cameras, they might have thrown some clue to the incident of explosives found in an abandoned SUV near the industrialist’s home.
Local police stations are now trying to have access to the feeds in their respective areas.
“Mostly we will take the footage of private cameras post an incident, but at some specific locations, we will try to take the live feed covering the outer areas,” said an officer.
Mahendra Hemdev, a member of the Marine Drive Residents Association, welcomed the move. “CCTV cameras are proving extremely valuable in preventing and solving crimes. However, live feed from society cameras should be available to police. Many societies are reluctant to share their footage not realising the importance of public safety,” said Hemdev, who recently met Singh and Patil and pushed for more cameras in the city.
“It is a good move by the police and going to help citizens only. We already had CCTV cameras covering the outer area but after the police order, we have installed them at other locations as well.” Said Ashok Patel, president of the fort Merchant welfare association Zaveri Bazaar, which has borne the brunt of scores of crimes and terror attacks, has got many digital eyes on its precinct.
“This is a big jewellery market and criminals have always targeted this place. It has also witnessed serial blasts. There are more than 3,000 shops along its narrow lanes. While most shops have CCTV cameras to cover the area in the front, others have also complied after the order from the police commissioner,” said Kumar Jain, the president of India Bullions and Jewellers Association.
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