To broaden electronic surveillance in the city, the police department, the administration and the Federation of Apartments Owners Association (FedAOA) are urging high-rises to install high-resolution cameras outside the gates.
During the annual general meeting of FedAOA last Sunday, SDM Vivek Mishra and SHO Sachin Malik spoke on the matter before representatives of high-rises from Indirapuram, Rajnagar Extension and Crossings Republik.
“It will help the police in not only monitoring, but also producing evidence in the event of a crime in the vicinity of the society. Presence of cameras would also act as a deterrent,” Malik explained.
To this, FedAOA President Alok Kumar added, “It is in our interest to install the cameras on our own. We can’t wait for the administration to install cameras, as we all know how long it can take.”
In fact, he made AOA representatives take a pledge on the same. Indirapuram News
He also informed that two societies of Indirapuram had already fulfilled their bit by installing the cameras, while another society has placed orders for them.
But what about roads and localities that are not in the vicinity of high-rises?
City Spidey spoke to senior police officials and people in the administration to know their roadmap for such areas.
SDM Vivek Mishra said, “Currently, there is no provision, and we are appealing to the citizens to help us in making the city safer.”
However, SP (city) Shlok Kumar said that they have plans for areas that are outside the reach of cameras installed at high-rises.
"If the area is in a market space, we will ask the market association to install cameras there. If not, we would ask the shops and institutions situated in the area to help us bring the area under CCTV surveillance,” SP Kumar said.
Residents have welcomed the move, but a few others feel it’s the job of the government to provide such facilities.
“We all wish for a safer neighbourhood and CCTV coverage will surely enable it, but as a taxpayer, I wish the government would invest in this initiative. After all, it’s their job to uphold law and order,” reasoned Kaushik Ghosh, a resident of Regalia Heights.
The government can at least provide subsidy to citizens to encourage participation in the initiative, he added.
Like Ghosh, Lipika Bhushan, a resident of ATS Advantage, also felt the same way. “Ghaziabad dreams to become a Smart City, but without surveillance infrastructure provided by the administration, how are we going to achieve it?” she questioned.
Since the last four years, Ghaziabad has been consistently failing to figure in the list of Smart Cities released by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Will things be any better in the next couple of years?
