Metro work is nuisance for Mumbai Police too

Even as the state government approved Rs 980 crore this month to secure all of Mumbai with a network of 5000 CCTV cameras the truth is that transport infrastructure development Mumbai Metro work in particular is proving to be a major impediment in the successful implementation of the surveillance systemThe new menace sources in the Mumbai Police said are the wallsized barricades installed in the middle of the roads for the construction of the metro which are not only causing traffic snarls but also obstructing the field of view FOV or open observable area of the public security camerasRequesting anonymity cops in the city told midday that the barricades have hampered postcrime investigations as the CCTV catchment areas are obstructed by the metro fences The cameras were installed in the city when there was no metro construction work They are expected to cover traffic from all sides But due to the barricades these cameras fail to capture what is happening on the opposite side of the road a senior officer said on condition of anonymityBelow CCTV cameras installed at Mahatma Gandhi RoadLink Road junction in Kandivli West and Goregaon Sports Club near Link Road Malad West cannot capture vehicles moving on the northbound road due to barricades on the other side of the road PicsNimesh Dave GraphicRavi JadhavNo view from hereIn order to check the veracity of the claims midday visited major junctions in the city There are multiple CCTVs installed at Mahatma Gandhi RoadndashLink Road junction in Kandivli West but the cameras installed on the southbound road cannot capture the vehicles plying on the northbound road of Link Road due to the barricadesThe road dividers were broken and the area was barricaded to conduct Metro work While the work is complete the barricades are still there as the new dividers are yet to be installed by the agencies concerned Once the dividers are ready the barricades will be removed and the cameras field of view will not be obstructed thereafter said a senior police officerSimilarly near Goregaon Sports Club on Link Road Malad West the cameras installed on the southbound road are unable to clearly capture vehicles moving on the northbound road At one spot the branches of trees had blinded the CCTVs lensThere are other locations in the western and northern suburbs where surveillance lenses have been obstructed but cops requested this reporter against disclosing details due to security reasonsInvestigation hamperedOne of the major grouses of the investigating officials is that the cameras no longer serve the purpose they were installed for The camera footage provides us additional support in investigating street crimes If the accused is moving in a vehicle we are able to locate their trail based on the CCTV footage But due to the obstruction our detection has been delayed said an officerGiving an example an officer said If someone is killed behind the barricade the CCTV wont be able to capture the murder scene Wed face a similar situation were a fatal road accident to take place behind that barricadeA senior cop told midday that oneandahalf months ago senior inspectors were asked if they need additional CCTV cameras or want to change the direction of the cameras installed in their respective jurisdictions An internal survey was conducted after which a few cameras were realigned But a lot of work still needs to be done the officer addedWhen midday reachedout to Mumbai Police Commissioner Subodh Jaiswal to ask him about the recent realignments he said It is not specifically linked to ongoing Metro work We realign the CCTV cameras if and when required for the safety and security of the cityLarsen amp Toubro which has the contract to boost Mumbais CCTV network in Mumbai refused to comment on the issue Sources at LampT however said that several CCTV poles were either shifted or cameras were realigned during major roaddigging work for Metro Beside CCTVs traffic signal poles too were temporarily shifted during excavation of roads for Metro If and when the police need to realign a camera or relocate a CCTV pole we have followed their instructions to improve surveillance the source addedAlso ReadMumbai Clear proof that Metro 3 carshed is leopards homeCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates