Over 130 CCTV cameras installed at major intersections of the district to ensure better traffic surveillance over three years ago are not helping as theft and poor maintenance have rendered most of them useless

Dhanbad MLA Raj Sinha whose aide, Satish Singh, was recently killed by unidentified persons in broad daylight met Dhanbad deputy commissioner Uma Shankar Singh on Wednesday and stressed on the need for proper maintenance of the installed CCTV cameras.

Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC) installed the cameras at a cost of Rs 3.80 crore. These include button cameras, PTZ (pan tilt zoom) cameras and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition cameras. While poor maintenance is one of the reasons behind their erratic functioning, local sources said, the optical fibre cables used to connect these were being stolen regularly.

CCTV cameras at Railway Station Road in Dhanbad Gautam Dey

Jamshedpur-based agency Maple PC and Peripherals that installed the cameras on behalf of DMC is also responsible for maintaining them, sources added.

Former president of Federation of Dhanbad Zila Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rajesh Kumar Gupta demanded that the authorities ensure proper maintenance of CCTV cameras. “It is the need of the hour now as criminal acts are expected to rise when lockdown restrictions are gradually eased,” he said.

Gupta, who is president of book sellers association Vastra Vyavsai Sangh, said, “The installation of cameras was a crucial step to improve the security of the district. But poor maintenance due to lack of coordination and proper planning has negated the entire effort.”

Echoing his sentiments, Mohammed Sohrab, President of Purana Bazar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “Although crime can’t be controlled, CCTV surveillance can ensure early detection. Also, sometimes cameras work as a deterrent for criminals.”

ANPR cameras that can read number plates of moving vehicles had been installed at 16 entry and exit points of the district, while PTZ cameras, which can rotate up to 360 degrees, had been installed at 27 places along with bullet cameras.

Last year, DMC had plans to install more surveillance cameras, but could do so due to lack of funds. DMC commissioner Satyenda Kumar said, “Law enforcement agencies like police that are using cameras should have informed us that some of these were not working. We could have then taken up the issue with the agency responsible for its maintenance.”

Manager (technical marketing) of Maple PC and Peripherals Hemant Kumar blamed it on prolonged power cuts. “The cameras can’t function after long power cuts as the UPS can provide power up to an hour only. Besides, repeated thefts of optical fibre cables also render the cameras useless. However, we will look into the matter in the light of the recent complaints made by the Dhanbad MLA,” he said.