Ghaziabad police propose CCTVs on NH-9 to track criminals, traffic violators

Ghaziabad: In order to track criminals and also to enforce traffic norms, Ghaziabad police commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra held a meeting with the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and proposed the setting up of cameras on National Highway-9 (NH-9)

Ghaziabad: In order to track criminals and also to enforce traffic norms, Ghaziabad police commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra held a meeting with the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and proposed the setting up of cameras on National Highway-9 (NH-9). The Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) lanes of the highway already have the presence of cameras, while the proposed ones will cover the remaining lanes of NH-9.

Ghaziabad, India - December 04 2022: A view of Delhi Meerut Expressway commonly called as Eastern Peripheral Expressway at Dasna in Ghaziabad , India on Sunday, December 04 2022. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

Ghaziabad traffic police officers said that the meeting was held on Saturday and a consensus was reached for the additional cameras by the NHAI.

Police said that the proposed cameras will be helpful in tracking stolen vehicles, movement of criminals and snatchers, besides tracking traffic violations on NH-9.

The DME was thrown open for commuters in April last year and it consists of 14 lanes. The three inner lanes on each side of the highway are dedicated for expressway traffic, while the four outer lanes on each side are dedicated NH-9 lanes.

“During the meeting, a consensus was reached for the installation of cameras on NH-9. At present, we have cameras which cover the expressway lanes. The proposed cameras will give wider coverage to the highway lanes and even the underpasses,” said Ramanand Kushwaha, Ghaziabad superintendent of police (traffic).

The police have proposed installation of 36 video incident detection system (VIDS) cameras, 22 automatic number plate readers (ANPRs) and two pan-tilt zoom (PTZ) cameras at Rasoolpur toll plaza. These cameras have been sought under zone 1 of the DME from Dasna to Bhojpur, police said.

Police have also proposed the installation of another set of 54 VIDS, 108 ANPRs and 14 PTZ cameras at Rasoolpur toll plaza. These cameras have been proposed under zone 2 of the DME from Dasna to UP Gate and will be installed at 29 identified points.

“These cameras will help us track criminals, including chain snatchers and car robbers who flee to the nearby districts. Further, the cameras will also be installed at nine entry/exit points and underpasses. At present, we have been penalising erring drivers only for speed limit violation. Once these cameras are installed, more violations such as driving without seat belts or helmets and triple riding will be detected and penalised with the help of automatic online challans. The NHAI officials have agreed to install the cameras within two months,” SP Kushwaha said.

NHAI project director Arvind Kumar could not be reached for comments over the issue. According to official sources in the NHAI, the DME at present has cameras that cover every 500 metres of the expressway from UP Gate to Meerut. Further, six ANPRs have also been installed at six entry/exit points of the DME, said officials.