500 more CCTV cameras, app to make Mumbai safer for women

Mumbai is one of the eight cities across country to get 60% funding from the central government under its Nirbhaya fund. Mumbai will get ₹151.2 crore, while the state government’s share will be ₹100.8 crore.

As part of the central government’s safe city programme meant to reduce crimes against women, the Maharashtra government will upgrade its Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance in Mumbai by adding 500 more cameras. The ₹252 crore project will have more CCTV cameras, camera-mounted vehicles, besides awareness initiatives to make city safer for women.

Women devotees at Ganesha immersion at Juhu in Mumbai. The city will get more CCTV cameras and an app to make it safer for women. (HT File Photo)

According to an official from the home department, the police will also develop a Track Me App and set up an SOS hotspot.

Mumbai is one of the eight cities across country to get 60% funding from the central government under its Nirbhaya fund. Mumbai will get ₹151.2 crore, while the state government’s share will be ₹100.8 crore. The state cabinet approved the proposal on Tuesday. The scheme will be rolled out in the next couple of months. The Mumbai police, the implementing agency for the project, has identified the isolated, deserted places in public and private areas where the additional cameras have to be installed.

“The project has been aimed at reducing crimes against women by training investigating officers, public prosecutors to improve the conviction rate, besides capacity building, and increasing awareness among people about crimes against the women. Around Rs170 crore has been earmarked for technological upgradation, Rs18 crore for GS mapping, ₹12 crore for training among other initiatives,” said an official from the home department.

On the tracking app and hotspot, the official said, “It also includes monitoring of social media to prevent criminal activities related to women, setting up of mobile data terminals. The RFP will soon be issued, inviting the bidders to implement various activities in the project, which has to be implemented over next three years,” he said.

Other cities to get funding are Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

The Centre-sponsored Safe City Mumbai will help adding 500 more cameras to its existing network of 4,746 cameras. The CCTV cameras to be installed under the project will be integrated with the existing network. The home department has also planned to add more 3,000 cameras at the cost of ₹300 more on its own.