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MCD to contractors: Install CCTVs at parkings
The empty coffers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) may pose a serious threat to the security of the city. Hamari Jamatia reports.
The empty coffers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) may pose a serious threat to the security of the city.
With recent terror strikes —such as the high court blast —targeting parking sites, the Delhi Traffic Police has written to the MCD to install CCTV cameras in all parking lots under its jurisdiction. The MCD is, however, apprehensive about putting up the devices since it will incur a huge expenditure.
The MCD, which is reeling under financial constraints, has, however, asked the contractors of the sites to install the devices, a move that is not expected to go down well. When MCD had given contracts, there was no clause that made the installation of cameras mandatory and hence, the MCD cannot force them to do so. “Earlier, the contracts made no mention of the need to install CCTVs. The clause can only be inserted in fresh contracts which will take some time to be made,” said a MCD official.
The installation of CCTVs will cost about Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh per parking space and the MCD has 155 parking sites, including multi-level car parking at Asaf Ali Marg, Paharganj, underground parking near Old Delhi railway station and others.
An official of the RP Cell said that apart from financial constraints, installing cameras at surface parking will come with a technical problem.
“Multi-level and underground parking lots have a fixed entry/exit where CCTVs can be installed,but it will be difficult to put up the devices at open parking where there are no fixed entry/exit points,” he said.
Nearly a week ago, Special Commissioner (traffic) Bhimsen Bassi through a letter had asked the MCD to bring all its parking lots under CCTV surveillance to monitor suspicious activities. The MCD wrote back telling about the obstacles in carrying out the installation but at the same time, it had also written to all contractors to install CCTV cameras.
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