Eye on Mumbai: BMC plans 5K more CCTV cameras for disaster response

The network of surveillance cameras in the city that sends visuals to the control room of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster management department

The network of surveillance cameras in the city that sends visuals to the control room of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster management department is being upgraded to improve the civic body’s response to disasters and emergencies. BMC is installing a new video analytics software that will identify disasters captured by the camera in real-time, and alert the disaster control room.

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This will be done via machine learning, a computing technology through which systems analyse data patterns of the past to spot anomalies in a real-time feed. The software will be able to identify tree collapses, fires, building collapses, road accidents, fights on the road, and other abnormal images from among video footage received from these cameras.

At present, there are 5,248 cameras across the city, and BMC plans to install 5,000 more within the next three months.

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner and in-charge of the disaster management department, said, “We have written to the Maharashtra government as this project is already being done at the state disaster control room at Mantralaya. This will require coordination with the police and the traffic police, as some cameras among the new lot of 5,000 are being installed by the traffic or Mumbai Police. “

The software will save on manpower otherwise needed to monitor real-time feed manually. Once the software has identified the disaster and alerted the control room, the disaster management department will notify the concerned response agency such as the fire brigade, police, or an ambulance to rush to the spot.

“The new cameras will be installed strategically after studying locations that are prone to disasters, such as accident-prone spots, flood-prone areas, sites of old, dilapidated buildings,” said Kakani.

A senior civic official said, “BMC wants to coordinate with the state government on this and use the same contractor. BMC is the first respondent for disaster relief so the same contractor working at both locations will help in coordination.”