RTI info reveals gaps in execution of Navi Mumbai CCTV network project

NAVI MUMBAI: Citizens have expressed their discontent over the prolonged delay by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) in completing the closed-circuit television (CCTV) installation project across the city. Social activists are questioning the civic administration's competency regarding implementation of this vital security initiative. Alert Citizen Forum has identified deficiencies through information obtained via the Right to Information (RTI) Act concerning the installation of CCTV cameras throughout the city.
In 2022, NMMC awarded a contract worth Rs 150 crore to a corporate house for installing 1,500 sophisticated CCTV cameras, acknowledging their importance for public safety, traffic control, women's security and law enforcement. However, the project remains unfinished after three years due to poor execution by the civic authorities, say social activists.

Recent information obtained through an RTI application filed on November 6, 2024, revealed substantial gaps in project execution. While 1,300 cameras were installed, only 703 are functional. Forum members' inspection discovered merely 410 working cameras, with others disabled due to fibre cable damage during road works in Vashi. The lack of proper utility ducts, which are standard infrastructure in developed countries, has resulted in frequent road digging.
Forum member Sanjay Sonawane states this practice, reportedly maintained for financial benefits, has led to CCTV infrastructure damage and cable theft. NMMC Commissioner Kailas Shinde acknowledged that cable theft in Vashi rendered numerous cameras non-operational, affecting the entire area's surveillance. Shinde confirmed the contractor has been instructed to restore services promptly.
The NMMC jurisdiction, with over 1.5 million residents, requires effective real-time monitoring. Sudhir Dani, Forum head, notes that poor coordination between police and municipal authorities has resulted in limited surveillance capability, with police having access to only four monitoring computers. Activists emphasise that despite advanced monitoring facilities at municipal headquarters, integrated surveillance operations are urgently needed.
"Keeping in mind the unique importance of CCTV for the tax-paying citizens of Navi Mumbai, a representation will be made to the NMMC Commissioner to ensure that the CCTV project is 100% operational and, most importantly, error-free, and to inquire about the difficulties faced in completing the CCTV project, and the necessary follow-up will be done accordingly," said Forum member Arun Kagle, noting the civic body's significant failure in implementing this essential security project.