CCTV cameras all over Panaji, but bad internet means they don’t work

PANAJI: Even as transport minister Mauvin Godinho asserts that all major roads in the state will be under CCTV surveillance, the Rs 180 crore integrated command and control (ICCC) project in Panaji has been delayed by nearly three years.
L&T and Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd (IPSCDL) have successfully installed smart cameras across the city, but the lack of decent internet connectivity prevents the project from being commissioned, said officials. “IPSCDL has asked Goa BroadBand Network (GBBN) and the IT department for more bandwidth to operationalise the project but for nearly a year, there has been no response,” said an official.
Last week, transport minister Mauvin Godinho announced that cameras will be installed in Goa on a public private partnership (PPP) model in the next 2-3 months to capture violators that engage in rash or drunken driving.
Union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri had set a deadline for smart command and control centres in 50 cities to be ready by December 2019. In mid-2019, national director, smart city mission, Rahul Kapoor, had asked IPSCDL to prepare a plan to expedite the project in keeping with the deadline given by Puri.
The ICCC, which is part of the larger Goa intelligent city management system, was awarded to L&T in June 2018. The private firm has already set up the command and control centre at the IT hub, Altinho. High resolution cameras with facial and number plate recognition technology have been installed at all entry points of Panaji and even at Old Goa, Porvorim, and Taleigao, but most remain unoperational.
“The project is 95% ready. We are waiting for GBBN to give us higher speeds. Our aim is to launch it as soon as possible, hopefully by November,” said an IPSCDL official.
The project has missed multiple deadlines.
CCTVs have already helped Goa police crack a few crimes. With some cameras operational, Goa police have used footage to identify and track down anti-social elements.