Almost 40% of the CCTV cameras installed by Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDC) are non-functional, with the organization failing to meet its installation targets. In 2023-24, the target was to install 3,841 cameras, but the goal remains unmet, continuing a pattern of underachievement over the years. For instance, the target in 2019-20 was 3,912 cameras, but only 3,692 were installed, a trend that continued in subsequent years, with only slight improvements.
Despite these efforts, the number of working cameras has never reached the target or installation figure. In fact, maintenance has been minimal, leading to a decline in functionality from 3,412 working cameras in 2019-20 to just 2,671 in 2023-24. A significant reason for this is the damage to the fiber optic connections due to ongoing infrastructure work across the city, such as road construction and the installation of power cables and pipelines.
The cameras are critical for the Intelligent and Integrated Traffic Management System (IITMS), which aims to cover 160 traffic junctions, including 126 major roads and 34 isolated traffic points. The system includes components like signal synchronization, stop-line violation detection, red-light violation detection, automatic number plate recognition, and speed detection. With the current challenges in installation and maintenance, NSSCDC has now decided to hire a private agency to manage the CCTV network and ensure its functionality.