No CCTVs at Shivaji Park pool area: BMC

The civic standing committee on Friday cleared a proposal to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at six places, including, Shivaji Park, Byculla zoo and Nair Hospital.

The civic standing committee on Friday cleared a proposal to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at six places, including, Shivaji Park, Byculla zoo and Nair Hospital. However, the administration assured the committee that no cameras would be put at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) swimming pool in Dadar.

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The Hindustan Times had reported on Thursday about the BMC’s plan to install CCTV cameras at certain civic-owned places to monitor the goings-on. However, the proposal to install a camera at the Mahatma Gandhi swimming pool at Shivaji Park did not go down well with many corporators. Concerns were raised over misuse of the CCTVs since the pool is also used by women.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) raised an objection over the issue during the standing committee meeting. Mangesh Sangle from MNS said: “No woman would feel safe if CCTVs cameras are installed in the pool area. The footage can be misused."

While replying to the committee, Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner, said she had taken a note of the objections. “We have instructed the (security) department concerned that they have to exempt changing rooms and the pool area from CCTV surveillance,” she clarified.

Following the assurance, the committee cleared the proposal. The BMC has made a provision of Rs7 crore for this.

The decision to install CCTVs was taken after the police suggested that the civic body take measures to secure its properties.

A year ago, in March 2010, an elephant killed a 25-year-old man, Mahendra Shinde, at Byculla zoo when he entered its enclosure. The BMC wants to avert such incidents and people from throwing stones at animals and disturbing them.

A CCTV camera would help monitor the zoo instead of deploying a security guard outside every cage

Yogesh Sagar, Bharatiya Janata Party corporator from Kandivli, said, “There should be 24/7 surveillance.”