City’s CCTV surveillance on ‘unoperational mode’ for hours

 

 

 

IN AN unprecedented move, the electronic surveillance, including functioning of 3,000-plus IP-based cameras at public places, and Command and Control system, was allegedly put into an ‘unoperational mode’ since Tuesday afternoon in the Second Capital. Sources said that the infrastructure giant, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) executing and operating the electronic surveillance systems, had allegedly put its server down with Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSDCL), a special purpose vehicle promoted by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Government, delaying outstanding payments to the company which ran into crores of rupees. L&T Construction’s Smart World & Communications Business Unit had signed the contract with Department of Information Technology, Maharashtra Government, under which Nagpur was being converted into the country’s first large-scale integrated Smart City in 2016. Sources said that the functioning of the electronic surveillance system had affected the city administration, including the police force, to a great extent till Wednesday evening.

 

For the past nine quarters, sources said, NMC did not make payment towards the capital and operational expenditure to the company. About the ongoing ‘hazards’ in electronic surveillance system, the top executives of L&T were tight-lipped about the issue. When contacted, Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B said, “The CCTV cameras may not be functioning due to some technical reasons. I will ask the Smart City project officers to look into the matter immediately.” The project included laying 1,200 km optical fibre network backbone, creating 136 city Wi-Fi hotspots at key locations, establishing 100 digital interactive kiosks, and developing city surveillance systems with 3,800 IP-based cameras. A six kilometre ‘Smart Strip’ from Japanese Garden Square to Orange City Hospital Square was to be fully equipped with state-of-the-art systems powered by smart ICT interventions like smart transport, smart solid waste management, smart lighting etc in a phased manner by the company.

 

‘Smart World’ business unit of the company had undertaken creative solutions for several cities, including surveillance and intelligent traffic management systems in different States. Operating in about 30 countries, L&T was also helping administrative machinery in different parts of the country during COVID-19 pandemic in tracking patients, containing the spread of the virus, monitoring quarantined people and controlling crowding as well as maintenance of law and order.