Kochi surveillance to turn digital

Kochi to be covered by nearly 500 digital cameras in next six months

KOCHI, Kerala, 08/02/2020: An old camera at jos Junction that has turned dysfunctional following the Kochi Metro works and is about to be replaced shortly by new digital cameras. 99 sunch cameras across the city have shut eyes in a similiar manner thus far. Photo : Thulasi Kakkat/The Hindu

The city is set to receive 90 Internet Protocol-based digital megapixel cameras at 35 points under Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML).

The city has been in the ‘dark’ for the past few years after the entire lot of 99 cameras installed in multiple phases between 2009 and 2013 literally shut eyes after the optical fibre cables connecting them to the police control room at Thevara got dismantled following Kochi metro works.

Keltron is in the process of installing the new digital cameras, which are likely to be up in another one-and-a-half to two months followed by another batch of 400 digital cameras for which CSML has invited tenders.

“In short, almost the entire city will be covered by a network of nearly 500 cameras in the next six months,” said S.P. Gopakumar, Head (Communications Division), Keltron.

While the police are trying to restore as many cameras as possible with the technical expertise of Keltron, the fact remains that most of them were no longer reliable or durable.

“All of them were analogue cameras and their spares have literally vanished from the world market. Digital cameras now being installed powering ITMS are the most efficient ones and fit for the future,” Mr. Gopakumar said.

More importantly, the new digital cameras devoid of optical fibre cables are connected to the control room by dedicated BSNL lease lines, thus insulating them from any potential disruption owing to metro or road works. Besides, the first batch of 90 cameras will be covered under the annual maintenance contract of Keltron for five-and-a-half years.

The city police in the mean time are trying to bring the entire network of private CCTVs across the city under a single umbrella in association with residents’ associations, trade bodies, and NGOs. “The idea is to connect a link from these cameras to local police stations and the control room. The process is under way,” said S.T. Suresh Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, Control Room.

Meanwhile, the work of shifting the control room from Thevara to the city police commissionerate has got under way.