Govt mulls CCTV surveillance of Srinagar streets for ‘safety, traffic regulation’

SRINAGAR: Installation of CCTV cameras on Srinagar roads is under the consideration of the government for “safety and regulation of traffic rules”.
An official document of the Housing and Urban Development Department reveals that installation of CCTV cameras has been suggested by the department to the government for “safety and security” in Srinagar.
“The CCTV cameras and illuminating streets and roads through street-lighting system fitted with sensors should be incorporated in the smart city proposal for ensuring safety and security in the city,” it reads.
The document said there was “inadequate” availability of CCTV surveillance in the entire city.
“The CCTV surveillance will prove as smart eye to the city. Well illuminated street lighting system will also ensure safety and security,” the document reads.
In the document, the government said that safety would be ensured by citywide network of the “public eye”, an initiative the government suggests was combining community policing with technology, installation of CCTV at strategic locations, and developing e-portals for “on the spot incident reporting”.
The CCTV cameras according to document would also ensure traffic regulation.
An official of the police department said that CCTVs were already installed at several places in Srinagar for security but many are defunct.
“Scores of places have already identified for installation of new CCTVs,” the official said.
He said that CCTVs are being installed everywhere in the world.
An official of the Housing and Urban Development said that installation of CCTVs would “ensure” safety of people and “regulation” of rules.
He said that proposal has been made on the suggestions of various departments.
“Monitoring of traffic violations is much needed to reduce number of road accidents. There has been increase in number of road accidents and traffic challans in the state,” the official said.
The Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 100 percent increase in traffic challans since 2010. 1,800 traffic violators being fined on an average daily in the state.
In Srinagar city alone, the traffic police has collected more than Rs 5 crore from parking violators since 2011, out of which more than Rs 1 crore have been paid to owners of cranes that lift wrongly parked vehicles. The rest Rs 4 crore have been deposited in the government treasury.
“Once the CCTVs are installed, the number of traffic violators will be much higher and there will be more surveillance whether people follow traffic rules,” an official of the Traffic Department said.