Dinesh Kamath's news item 'CCTV cameras are helping Navi Mumbai police considerably' that was published in Newsband

CCTV cameras are helping Navi Mumbai police considerably

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and Navi Mumbai police are trying to identify the right spots for installation of the closed circuit camera network. They are concentrating on fixing these CCTV cameras particularly in remote city nodes like Kharghar, Panvel, Uran and Taloja. Their main objective behind installing these cameras is to regulate crime and traffic in these nodes. There have been exchanges between city police commissioner, A K Sharma, and the planning authority over this issue of installing CCTV cameras.

These CCTV cameras already exist in many important junctions and few arterial roads in Navi Mumbai. These technological equipments have helped the police considerably in matter of monitoring crime and traffic. There are regions which are under the control of the planning authority and CIDCO is intending to install CCTV cameras even in these areas.

A private consultant is imparting useful suggestions to CIDCO in the matter of where these cameras ought to be installed. It is helping CIDCO in using this advanced technology most effectively.

Navi Mumbai police force is not adequately staffed and hence it is not humanly possible for a few policemen to keep a watch on such a huge area. Also this city is witnessing a massive population growth owing to which there is a need of using such advanced technologies to ensure total security in the city. In fact, even the state government is planning to make it mandatory for Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and also other neighbouring corporations to make effective use of CCTV cameras.

Post 26\11 terror attacks, the Navi Mumbai authorities are become aware about the urgent need of installing CCTV cameras in big number all over the regions within NMMC’s jurisdiction to monitor suspicious movements in the city.

NNMC has shown willingness to finance the installation of CCTVs and if NMMC authorities will keep their words, it will curb especially speed-related offences which are the causes of many major and minor road accidents in Navi Mumbai.

Many closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are already successfully installed at important locations in the city, making this region more secure than before. In fact, State deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was all praise for NMMC for being the first civic body in the state to install CCTVs for safety and security of its residents.

It was Mayor of Navi Mumbai Sagar Naik who had first conceived the idea of installing CCTV cameras in the city to make this region more secure. The Mayor had become extremely concerned about the security within the city when the corporators during the general body and standing committee meetings constantly raised security concerns. It was then that the Mayor came up with this idea of installing CCTVs at important locations including the entry and exit points of the city. The Mayor even got the NMMC to allocate funds for this purpose.

The best thing about these CCTV cameras is that they even record registration number of all the vehicles entering in the city and these advanced technological gadgets can ensure that the records are available for years to come for use

It was a remarkable thing that NMMC has installed CCTV cameras at its own expense and it is the first civic Body to do so. For this achievement, NMMC even received a pat on its back by none other than NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Thus a major initiative was taken to curb the increasing crime rate and monitor activities at public places in Navi Mumbai. The Navi Mumbai police are become experts in the matter of operating these gadgets. After the installation of these CCTVs in the city, the city police managed to solve more criminal cases and they included hit-and-run and other theft crimes. The city police made full use of the footage recorded with these cameras.

The Palm Beach Road is the most dangerous one in Navi Mumbai. It is here where one discovers most of the speeding cases which result in many accidents. Hence it was decided that this road particularly should have automated speed cameras installed to record all speed violations, record the vehicle’s registration numbers and help penalise the motorists.

Other locations where CCTV cameras have been installed are all premises in and around railway stations, all check nakas (entry and exit points), important junctions, bus stands and depots, Palm Beach Road and Highways.

CCTV cameras have helped the traffic police to tackle the prevailing traffic chaos on city roads to a great extent, if not totally. The installation of these cameras at many busy junctions and major crossings in the city has made the work of traffic police much easier.

This technology, in fact, also helps in curbing other crimes like chain snatching, robbery, kidnapping, house break-in and road rage. These cameras also help in censoring traffic violations. When the vehicle jumps signal or the driver is found without wearing his/her seat belt, these cameras click pictures automatically with vehicle number.

This technology definitely helps in carrying out traffic and security surveillance in the city. Installing of these CCTVs is a costly affair – there is no doubt about that. But in the long run, it is bound to prove to be a good investment.

This technology is definitely helping in controlling the traffic flow which has increased because of increasing population and vehicles. Without this technology the police will find it difficult to manage such heavy traffic flow. It is practically impossible to deploy police personnel for monitoring and controlling every violator. This system for surveillance of crucial spots can be monitored live and recorded live on screen while sitting at one place. The camera footage can keep an eye on rioters who damage private and public property during agitations, and it can be useful during the investigation of cases. When the vehicle jumps signal or the driver is found without seat belt, these cameras will click pictures. It can also help in controlling other crimes. These cameras are more effective as they have the facility of recording in both day and night modes.

The city police is waiting for still more funds to flow from state government’s coffers so that they can have more such technologies to help lessen the heavy burden they carry on their shoulders.

JNPT and Nhava-Sheva connecting road particularly need such technology and besides installing CCTV cameras, there is urgent need of modernisation of control room and starting of Citizen Facilitating Centre (CFC).