2,000 of 3,500 CCTV cameras defunct in Pune

The failure stems from years of poor coordination, the absence of technical standards, and an unresolved dispute between the PMC and Pune city police over maintenance responsibilities

Pune’s city-wide CCTV surveillance system is facing a serious breakdown, with over 2,000 of the 3,500 installed cameras currently non-functional, according to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials. The failure stems from years of poor coordination, the absence of technical standards, and an unresolved dispute between the PMC and Pune city police over maintenance responsibilities.

A technical audit has been initiated by the PMC after it emerged that a majority of cameras were either disconnected or damaged. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

A technical audit has been initiated by the PMC after it emerged that a majority of cameras were either disconnected or damaged. Officials said the situation has been worsened by the use of overhead cabling—which was preferred to avoid the cost of underground trenching—now tangled in a dense network of electric lines, making repairs difficult without major groundwork.

“There is no unified control or monitoring system,” a senior PMC official said. “Cameras were installed over several years by different regional ward offices, without centralised documentation. As a result, we’re not even certain how many are currently functional.”

PMC estimates that only about 1,500 cameras are operational. The remaining—including many installed using District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) funds—have gone offline. Of the 3,500 cameras installed city-wide, 500 were funded through the DPDC.

According to PMC Electrical Department head Manisha Shekatkar, private contractors were initially tasked with maintenance for three years post-installation. Once those contracts lapsed, disagreements arose between the PMC and the city police over who would take over. Cameras installed under DPDC funding were maintained for just one year.

“There’s no clarity on ownership after the initial maintenance period ends,” Shekatkar told Hindustan Times.

“We wrote to the police department, but they’re unwilling to take responsibility, even though the cameras are under their operational control. On our part, we handled maintenance for the first three years, as agreed.”

She said only around 40% of the cameras are functional. “We need an annual maintenance budget of ₹1.5 crore, but this hasn’t been provisioned consistently. No new cameras have been added in the last three years. The core question is whether the PMC should officially take over the system, since the police are unwilling.”

Matters worsened during a recent PMC overhead cable clean-up drive, when several CCTV feeds were inadvertently cut off, resulting in the loss of surveillance data. Officials said the use of overhead cables, meant to reduce costs, violated proper urban utility planning norms.

Security experts have also flagged the system’s outdated technology and lack of standardisation. “Many of the cameras are low-resolution and not equipped for modern surveillance,” said Sahil Gandhi, a Pune-based security expert. “Without technical guidelines and clear custodianship, the system is bound to fail.”

Gandhi added that the PMC has not acted on repeated letters from Pune Police highlighting non-functional cameras, deepening the administrative stalemate.