Securing city: AMC to install CCTVs at strategic points

Even popular gardens,including Law Garden,Usmanpura and Vastrapur Garden,major bridges and flyovers are in the list of electronic surveillance.

Confirming the areas shortlisted,the AMC Municipal Commissioner Gurudas Mohapatra said,“After detailed meetings and discussion with the city police,it has already submitted its report that was awaited seeking their feedback and approval on the project. It is expected to be implemented in another four to six months.”

Further adding on the project funds,he said earlier few points were to be covered in the CCTV surveillance,but recently after consultations with the city police,more installations have been added. Thus,leading to an increase of 50 per cent in the budgetary cost; from Rs 10 crore to 15 crore. “The project has also been budgeted as funds of Rs 10 crore have already been allocated. The locations suggested by the police include railway stations and major bridges and flyovers,” he said.

(n)Code Solutions,a division of GNFC Limited and promoted by the state government has been assigned the task of preparing final report for the implementation. “It will also handle the execution of the project,” Mohapatra revealed.

With security of the public places as the major concern,the installations will be high resolution CCTV cameras with 24×7 night recording facility.

Unlike one central control room,various locations are being identified and shortlisted as monitoring points.

In close association with city police,the corporation is also working out on feasibility of how police can access the CCTV footage and recordings,whenever necessary.

At present,the AMC has only eight CCTV cameras functional at the Kankaria lake. Installed a year ago,the number of cameras is increased during the carnival which are later removed.

It is to be noted that among above list of locations,L G Hospital was targeted during the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts when an explosion took place inside the hospital complex when those injured in blasts at other places in the city were bring brought to the hospital for treatment.