Cidco finally starts work on CCTVs

KEEPING AN EYE The cameras to be installed at 293 locations will be operational in a few months and will help curb crimes in city

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) has started the installation of 574 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at nearly 300 locations in their jurisdiction. The cameras will be operational in a few months, a senior officer said.

The cameras will cover developed nods such as Kharghar, Kamothe, Khanda Colony, New Panvel as well as the upcoming nodes such as Dronagiri and Ulwe. Currently, they have chosen around 293 locations across all nodes.

“The digging work for installation of poles has started. We, along with the city police, conducted a survey in different nodes and selected the locations according to their suggestions. We have mainly selected public places, busy market areas, railway stations and bus depots for installing cameras. The cameras will be monitored by the police along with our officials,” said Mohan Ninawe, senior public relations officer of Cidco.

Currently, 266 CCTV cameras have been installed in the NMMC jurisdiction ( from Airoli to Belapur) and it helped the police detect scores of cases in the past one year.

Prabhat Ran jan, Na vi Mumbai police commissioner, said, “The footage from these cameras helped detect several serious crimes in 2015. It helped us increase the detection and conviction rates too. We are very happy that Cidco is installing cameras in their jurisdiction. It will help keep the law and order situation under control.”

For now, Cidco will start a temporary command centre at Belapur railway station to monitor these cameras. They decided to construct at a state- of- the- art four- storey CCTV command centre with

a budget of Rs2.5 crore at the police commissioner’s office compound. However, it will take them almost two years to complete the entire project as certain proposals are yet to be

cleared by their engineering department.

So we have now decided to run a temporary CCTV command centre from the second floor of Belapur railway sta-

tion complex, till the planned centre comes up at the police commissioner’s office.

Pradeep Kannalu, assistant commissioner of police ( wireless), said, “After discussing

the matter with Cidco, we have decided to use colour analysis and face recognition software in the server of these cameras. While colour analysis software could be used to identity col-

oured objects, face recognition software could be used to identify criminals’ faces and find their past records. It will also help curb terror related activities in the city.”

HT The cameras will cover developed nods such as Kharghar (top), Kamothe (left), Khanda Colony, New Panvel (right) as well as the upcoming nodes such as Dronagiri and Ulwe.