Crumbling security: 1,500 CCTVs of 3,686 non-functional

Time of India

05-05-2025

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Nagpur: City crumbling CCTV network has exposed a serious flaw in the city's
public safety infrastructure
. Of the 3,686 cameras installed by the Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (
NSSCDCL
), nearly 1,500 are non-functional. This failure has severely hampered police efforts to monitor street crimes, especially as chain snatching cases rise — 17 reported by mid-April 2025, nearly matching the 20 incidents recorded in all of 2024.
The gravity of the issue came into sharp focus after the recent murder of a trucker at Tathagata Chowk — an area where the cameras were not working. Police have increasingly had to rely on private CCTV footage to investigate such cases, raising concerns over privacy and inadequate coverage in key zones.
The situation worsened after the NSSCDCL, the special purpose vehicle under the Smart City Mission, became defunct earlier this year. Without a designated authority to maintain or repair the network, the city has been left in limbo. Although temporary efforts restored 1,000 cameras ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, no long-term solution has been put in place.
Despite chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' post-riot assurance to revive and expand the surveillance system, no substantial progress has been made. A Rs125 crore tender for the operation and maintenance of the system over five years was floated in April, but implementation has been sluggish. Guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule's recent directive to restore full coverage is a positive step, but lacks the urgency the situation demands. The police's struggle to crack cases — evident in the 38 robbery cases this year compared to 60 last year — shows that while crime rates may fluctuate, detection remains a bottleneck without technological support.
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Senior police officials warn that the issue goes beyond routine crime. "Nagpur is vulnerable to more serious threats, including terrorism, without a functional and centralised surveillance network," one officer said. The contrast between the quick fix for VIP visits and the lack of sustained governance reflects poorly on administrative priorities.
The reliance on private footage is a poor substitute for a public surveillance network, and the city urgently needs a modern, integrated system — possibly with AI tools like facial recognition, as seen in cities like Chandigarh.
BOX
THE DEFUNCT STORY
* Nearly 1,500 of Nagpur's 3,686 CCTV cameras are defunct
*It has crippled the city's crime detection and public surveillance system
* Police are relying on private CCTV footage, raising privacy concerns
* The NSSCDCL, tasked with managing the system, is defunct, and a ₹125 crore maintenance tender has seen delayed implementation
Nagpur: City crumbling CCTV network has exposed a serious flaw in the city's public safety infrastructure. Of the 3,686 cameras installed by the Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL), nearly 1,500 are non-functional. This failure has severely hampered police efforts to monitor street crimes, especially as chain snatching cases rise — 17 reported by mid-April 2025, nearly matching the 20 incidents recorded in all of 2024.
The gravity of the issue came into sharp focus after the recent murder of a trucker at Tathagata Chowk — an area where the cameras were not working. Police have increasingly had to rely on private CCTV footage to investigate such cases, raising concerns over privacy and inadequate coverage in key zones.
The situation worsened after the NSSCDCL, the special purpose vehicle under the Smart City Mission, became defunct earlier this year. Without a designated authority to maintain or repair the network, the city has been left in limbo. Although temporary efforts restored 1,000 cameras ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, no long-term solution has been put in place.
Despite chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' post-riot assurance to revive and expand the surveillance system, no substantial progress has been made. A Rs125 crore tender for the operation and maintenance of the system over five years was floated in April, but implementation has been sluggish. Guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule's recent directive to restore full coverage is a positive step, but lacks the urgency the situation demands. The police's struggle to crack cases — evident in the 38 robbery cases this year compared to 60 last year — shows that while crime rates may fluctuate, detection remains a bottleneck without technological support.
Senior police officials warn that the issue goes beyond routine crime. "Nagpur is vulnerable to more serious threats, including terrorism, without a functional and centralised surveillance network," one officer said. The contrast between the quick fix for VIP visits and the lack of sustained governance reflects poorly on administrative priorities.
The reliance on private footage is a poor substitute for a public surveillance network, and the city urgently needs a modern, integrated system — possibly with AI tools like facial recognition, as seen in cities like Chandigarh.
BOX
THE DEFUNCT STORY
* Nearly 1,500 of Nagpur's 3,686 CCTV cameras are defunct
*It has crippled the city's crime detection and public surveillance system
* Police are relying on private CCTV footage, raising privacy concerns
* The NSSCDCL, tasked with managing the system, is defunct, and a ₹125 crore maintenance tender has seen delayed implementation