7 Years After 26/11, Mumbai Gets CCTV Network

Mumbai: Seven years after the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the city has got its first integrated security camera network with the launch of the Mumbai City Surveillance Project.

Speaking at the event Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmad Javed said, "These cameras will keep an eye on Mumbai 24x7. This will help the police not only in solving crimes but also in responding to emergencies. We are thankful to the government for implementing the project."

After taking over as Chief Minister in 2014, Devendra Fadnavis had said it would be his priority to get the project implemented as it had been stuck in red tape for years.

A network of over 6,000 closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras will cover the entire city and the feed from the cameras will be monitored in control and command centres at the Mumbai Police Headquarters in South Mumbai, Worli and Kalina.

The project also includes 20 thermal cameras on the city's coastline to record any possible movement in the sea in order to possibly detect intruders coming from the Arabian Sea, as they did seven years ago.

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The first phase for the island city is being launched today and the suburbs will be covered by September 2016, officials said.

The Maharashtra government in February this year had signed an agreement worth Rs 949 crore with engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for setting up CCTV-based surveillance in the city.

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The project was  proposed during the NCP-Congress regime after the November 26, 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai, known as 26/11, on the recommendation of the Ram Pradhan Committee report and has been delayed because despite calling for bids four times, private sector companies did not submit tenders.