New Delhi: Delhi govt has allocated Rs 60 crore under its revised budget estimates for the installation of CCTV cameras in the city, one of its key projects launched in 2018.
PWD, the nodal agency for implementing govt’s flagship scheme, has installed 2.2 lakh CCTVs over the past few years under the first phase and is currently putting in place more cameras under Phase 2.
According to officials, work in this phase has already started and maintenance of the cameras installed so far has also been handed over to companies. With the funds approved, further progress will be made, they said.
As per the latest status report, 12,000 cameras are being installed. These cameras have built-in Wi-Fi with connectivity to a mobile app to ensure there is no need for an external access point.
Delhi govt has said in the past that the installation of cameras is a major boost to the safety of citizens. An individual can apply for the installation of CCTV cameras by filling out a form on the PWD website. The form requires details like constituency, contact number, tentative number of houses covered and number of cameras required.
In 2021, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Delhi ranked highest across the world in CCTVs per square mile. Delhi govt’s project has been hailed as significant, especially for women’s safety in the city.
However, following the installation, several incidents of damage and theft have been reported, highlighting the need for regular maintenance and prompt repair to ensure the surveillance network operates effectively.
Delhi govt maintains that the CCTV feeds are highly secure, with hardware monitored by the community, feeds accessible only to authorised users, and the system itself capable of automatic health checkups to detect disturbances and intrusions.
PWD constructed a command-and-control centre for Phase 1 of the project and keeps a record of the live feed for a period of 30 days. The department handed over maintenance of the CCTV cameras to Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL), a public sector unit under the ministry of defence that manufactures electronic products and systems for Army, Navy and IAF.
