Control centre awaits data integration, to commence in March

Two months after the integrated command and control centre (I-CCC) was inaugurated by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the centre is yet to start operations.

Two months after the integrated command and control centre (I-CCC) was inaugurated by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the centre is yet to start operations. Officials said that they are still updating the data from different departments in the integrated system and are in the process of conducting trials.

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The I-CCC, constructed at a cost of ₹65 crore, was inaugurated by Khattar on December 7, 2019. The centre will integrate video feeds of the 2,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the city at its Sector 44 premises, located in the new office building of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).

A team of 25 information technology (IT) workers of the GMDA is working on the data integration exercise, which is expected to be completed by the end of the month. HT, on its visit to the I-CCC, located on the first floor of the building, found 20 members currently working on different aspects of the command centre.

A team of IT staff can currently be seen working on a call centre, to receive complaints from residents and transfer the complaints to the departments concerned and coordinate with them till the disposal or redressal of the complaints.

Another team monitors infrastructure and basic amenities on a set of six big screens, each having four segments integrated with four different government departments.

“So, there are virtually 24 screens (6x4) for traffic, water, sewer, electricity, land, roads, streetlights, pollution, weather, etc. Currently, traffic police and pollution monitoring happens actively, whereas the data integration for other departments is still underway,” a member of the IT staff team said, adding that the feed of 250 CCTV cameras from different locations have been integrated to help the traffic police.

According to GMDA officials, residents will get the full benefits of the facility from March.

PK Aggarwal, GMDA’s IT advisor, said, “We have integrated nearly 70% of the data of various government departments so far. We are in the process of launching a new mobile application by February-end. The application can be used by the residents to raise their concerns or complaints regarding water leaks, potholes, traffic jams, etc, and our team will actively coordinate. The new version of the mobile application (version 2) has many advanced features compared to version 1, such as the five SOS services.”

The total area of Gurugram district is 1,258 square kilometres, of which the GMDA covers 675 square kilometres, including 137 villages.

“This system will cover areas extending up to the Delhi border, Jhajjar border, two kilometres beyond the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway and the Gwal Pahari, towards Faridabad,” said Aggarwal, adding that residents can avail of its benefits from March by downloading the GMDA application from Google Play and use it after registration.

Khattar had laid the foundation stone for the integrated command and control centre on September 2, 2018.

“The I-CCC will strengthen coordination and hasten response to incidents, including emergencies and crises, by allowing the city administration to respond quickly and effectively to any emergency or disaster-like situation in the city through the defined standard operating procedures (SOPs) and step-by-step instructions,” said Aggarwal.

A resident said that a complaint, about a potholed road, lodged through the currently operational mobile application was disposed of after two days, but without a redressal of the grievances.

“I am a government staff. I clicked a picture of a pothole and lodged the complaint through the existing mobile application, but it was closed after two days without redressing my concern,” the complainant said.

When asked about this, Aggarwal said, “We receive hundreds of complaints daily, but their redressal currently is not possible due to lack of data integration. We are in a trial period, which will be over by the end of the month.”