Pimpri-Chinchwad City is gearing up to significantly improve public safety and surveillance by launching the second phase of its CCTV camera installation project. The strategic placement of these 2,930 CCTV cameras, which has been approved by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate, is set to bolster security and monitoring across the city. The initiative comes with an estimated cost of 169 crore rupees, as confirmed by Babasaheb Galbale, the Municipal Engineer of the Electricity Department at the Municipal Corporation.
Prior to this expansion, the city had already taken steps to enhance surveillance through a collaboration between the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and the Smart City program. The Municipal Corporation had previously installed 2,490 CCTV cameras, and the Smart City initiative added an impressive 5,490 cameras, resulting in a total of 7,980 CCTV cameras actively monitoring the city.
Responding to the requests of former corporators, social organizations, and concerned citizens, the Municipal Corporation has decided to augment the city’s surveillance network with an additional 2,930 CCTV cameras, all with the necessary permissions from the police.
These new cameras will be strategically distributed across various key locations, including 2,800 cameras at 500 different sites such as public squares, hospitals, schools, markets, and more. Furthermore, ten-speed cameras will be positioned at crucial locations, with an additional 120 cameras designated for use along the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) route. In total, the 2,930 new cameras will be dispersed across 570 diverse locations throughout the city, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
Joint City Engineer Galbale has confirmed that the implementation of this project will commence shortly, marking a significant step towards enhancing public safety in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
While the city’s extensive surveillance network is a crucial asset for security, there have been instances where the safety of the CCTV cameras themselves has been compromised. Reports of stolen CCTV camera batteries in various areas have led to police investigations and subsequent arrests. These incidents underscore the importance of additional security measures to protect these vital surveillance assets.
