The median on the Wall Tax Road between Chennai Central railway station and Mint junction, a distance of around 4 km in George Town, is a lifesaver. It protects people from accidents as well as from thefts and other petty offences.
A week ago, the Flower Bazaar police range, which covers the entire George Town area, installed more than 200 high resolution CCTV cameras. Of them, around 30 cameras were set up on the median along the Wall Tax Road for better surveillance of the city’s central business hub. The idea to cover the oldest business hub in the city under CCTV cameras, police said, is to monitor the movement of goods and people, mainly from the neighbouring districts and States. “Unlike other parts of the city, George Town is a thickly populated area with both commercial and residential buildings mingled together. So, we decided to use modern technology for better surveillance of the area,” said a police source.
Key business stretches in George Town such as Govindappa Naick street, Angappa Naick street, Narayana Mudali street, Kasi Chetty street, Rasappa Chetty street, Varada Muthiappan street, Thatha Muthiappan street, Lingi Chetty street, Thambu Chetty street and Armenian Street have been covered under the CCTV scanner.
On an average, more than 5,000 goods-laden vehicles pass through these areas every day and deliver to more than 600 godowns. There are nearly 2.5 lakh traders in the neighbourhood. Most of the lorries come from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka via NH-05 (Kolkata Highway) and NH-04 (Bengaluru Highway) via Moolakadai and Madhavaram. These routes, especially the NH-05 route has less surveillance in terms of police presence and CCTV cameras. Police said that the entry through the northern part of the city is also porous and modern surveillance will ensure better security.
In addition, the existing Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Installation of Closed Circuit Television Units in Public Buildings) Rules, 2012, also mandates the installation of CCTV cameras in commercial establishments and public buildings to prevent crime and ensure safety of citizens. At present, Chennai has more than 50,000 CCTV cameras including those installed in public buildings and residential houses. However, most of these cameras are located in south and central parts of the city with only a few hundred cameras in north Madras, especially George Town area. “With the Metro Rail coming up in northern part of the city up to Tiruvottiyur, more migration of people to congested parts of north Chennai are expected. So, we felt the need for an increased surveillance around the business hub in George Town,” police source said.