PWD to expand, upgrade Delhi’s CCTV network

The ₹100 crore expansion plan is aimed at strengthening public safety across key infrastructure maintained by PWD

The Public Works Department (PWD) is implementing a multi-pronged strategy to expand and upgrade Delhi’s surveillance infrastructure, which includes technical audits, rationalisation of uninstalled cameras, and installing 50,000 more CCTV units, officials aware of the matter said on Monday.

Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras on a street in New Delhi. (REUTERS)

The ₹100 crore expansion plan is aimed at strengthening public safety across key infrastructure maintained by PWD, such as government offices, arterial roads, underpasses, schools, hospitals, courts and prisons.

“Many of the cameras installed earlier have become defunct or require urgent maintenance. Some have also been stolen or disconnected. This audit will ensure that our existing infrastructure is functional before we move to the next phase. The increased surveillance network will help with monitoring, ensuring safety and increasing accountability. This is a basic infrastructure that the national capital should have had years ago,” said PWD minister Parvesh Verma.

PWD’s current surveillance network of 280,000 CCTV cameras covers government buildings, hospitals, schools, prisons, courts, roads and underpasses. But officials admitted that due to limited maintenance over the years, many of these cameras have fallen into disrepair or become non-functional. According to officials, a technical consultant was appointed last week to audit all these cameras. The audit will examine camera functionality, coverage gaps, and repair requirements. The audit is supposed to be completed by November 30, officials said.

The audit and upgrade plan comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over urban safety, vandalism, and unauthorised encroachments in public spaces. With both old and new infrastructure expected to be brought under a single, rationalised network, the department aims to ensure comprehensive, uninterrupted coverage across the city, officials said.

“There are practical issues of maintenance with regular complaints of theft of not just cameras, but also wires and other hardware. Despite that we try to ensure routine maintenance. Throughout the monsoon, all main roads, waterlogging hot spots and underpasses are under 24-hour monitoring,” the official added.

Alongside the audit, the department is addressing a backlog of 15,387 cameras that were procured earlier but not installed. Of these, 3,209 cameras have now been put in place, and the department has begun installing the remaining 12,178 cameras after receiving location inputs from respective MLAs. The target for completing this balance installation has been set for September 1.

“Once these 15,000 cameras are installed, we will check their connections, live coverage and data storage,” said the official.

A fresh tender for 50,000 additional CCTV cameras has already been prepared, and the vendor finalisation process is underway, officials said. The preliminary estimate for this new phase has been submitted for administrative approval and expenditure sanction. Installation is expected to commence four months after these clearances are granted, with completion targeted within a year.

“Once the 50,000 cameras are installed, it will significantly enhance our citywide monitoring capabilities. When combined with analytics and centralised monitoring systems, it can help not just with law enforcement but also emergency response and traffic management eventually,” the official added.

Officials said the department will work closely with MLA offices, local bodies, and residents’ welfare associations to identify priority locations to install new cameras. Repair work is slated to begin by November and new cameras are likely to be operational by mid-2026, so Delhi is likely to see a comprehensive CCTV coverage with over 330,000 cameras by the end of next year, according to officials.