MAPUSA
A plan is underway for setting up at least 14 new closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at strategic points on urgent basis, before the Chaturthi and at a later stage to bring the entire town under surveillance through central funds.
Five years ago, around 13 CCTV cameras had been installed at certain key areas in the main town. However, most of these are out of order and some stopped functioning for want of maintenance.
Chairperson of Mapusa Municipal Council, Shubhangi Vaigankar informed that soon after she took over as the council head, her focus was to make these CCTV cameras functional.
“We have made an estimate to fix 14 cameras at key areas at the earliest, possibly before the Chaturthi.
But to do that we have to take a council resolution and then call for a tender,” Vaigankar said.
“My intention is to install such cameras in entire Mapusa right from Cunchelim to Khorlim. We get special funds from the central government for installation of CCTV cameras,” she added.
She informed the cameras that were installed in the past were out of order and some stopped functioning due to lack of maintenance.
She further said care will be taken so that the new contractor appointed to fix the cameras will also take care of maintenance so that past mistakes do not reoccur.
Some years back, Mapusa Police Station in-charge had written to the civic body the need to install CCTV cameras at key areas due to the rise in theft and chain snatching cases.
The police had requested the council to fix cameras at strategic locations such as entry and exit points of the KTC bus-stand, Gandhi Circle, Aldona taxi-stand and some other places.
Incidentally, the Mapusa civic body has installed CCTV cameras in the municipal building. The cameras have been installed in various sections such as establishment, taxation, accounts etc besides the entrance of the municipal building.
The cameras can be monitored either by the chief officer or the chairperson.
