CCTVs prove useless in Churchgate body probe,authorities

Problems with CCTVs have been there for long,said officials,admitting that the tussle between railways and the Government Railway Police is not helping matters.

“If the CCTVs were to help curb law and order problems,we should have been taken into confidence. We were not consulted before installation of CCTVs. We could have helped them decide a position for the cameras,” said Deepak Sawant,Senior Inspector,Andheri railway station. “The CCTVs are not operational and even if they are,they are covered with dust. We always get misty footage. We have written letters to the railway administration but it has not addressed the problem,” said P M Karyakarte,Senior Inspector,Borivali police.

The railway administration has rubbished the police claims. “Most of the CCTVs work and we take adequate care in maintenance of the cameras,” said WR chief spokesperson Sharat Chandrayan.

The 26/11 attacks had also exposed dysfunctional CCTVs at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

The Bandra railway police has three stations and Bandra Terminus under its jurisdiction. It has 22 CCTVs that are not operational. The Bandra Terminus has 48 cameras of which only 30 are operational. The Khar and Bandra stations have two dysfunctional cameras. Some of the cameras do not rotate and have limited capturing power.