PWD to replace 1.4 lakh China-made CCTV cameras in Delhi, says Minister

The move comes amid a broader pushback against Chinese surveillance equipment. According to media reports, the Union government has now refused to certify products made in China or those using Chinese chipsets under the new Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) rules, effectively barring Chinese video surveillance companies Hikvision and Dahua from selling Internet-connected CCTV cameras in India.

Singh said the transition would be carried out in phases to avoid disruption in surveillance coverage. “The replacement will be done alongside rationalisation of the existing network so that monitoring is not affected.”

Raising concerns over the procurement of China-made cameras, Singh said, “When you deploy such systems across an entire city, you are making a national security choice… surveillance infrastructure involves handling sensitive data.”

Without mentioning the previous AAP government, he added, “For them, it was about numbers and publicity. For us, it is about security, accountability and protecting Delhi’s residents without any compromise.”

The Indian Express had reported earlier this month that the PWD planned to conduct a comprehensive study of the existing network of CCTV cameras in the Capital to assess how they can be better utilised to help prevent criminal activities and assist in investigations.

Chinese-origin equipment was flagged even then by Singh. “About 1.4 lakh cameras were installed in Phase 1 (by then AAP government), and many of them have now become obsolete. These were procured through a Chinese company, which also raises security concerns because the data feed could be misused,” he had said.