With over 200 cameras, Dharamshala to up surveillance, crack down on traffic violations
The officials said the cameras will surveil the areas within Dharamshala municipal corporation (MC) limits
The city police have installed over 200 high-end closed-circuit television (CCTV) and an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) cameras at six locations as part of enhanced surveillance measures under the smart city project, officials said.
The ITMS cameras are used to monitor traffic conditions, detect congestion and identify violations. The officials said a trial is on for the cameras, and they will be made operational soon.
The command and control centre will be located at the office of the superintendent of police in Dharamshala.
The officials said the cameras will surveil the areas within municipal corporation (MC) limits. The ITMS cameras are located near SP office, clock tower, at Sakoh, Sheela Chowk, near Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) workshop and on Chilgari Road. Earlier, the city had a sole ITMS camera near the war memorial.
The officials said 187 bullet cameras, 32 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and 10 pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras have also been installed at key locations across the city.
Dharamshala and McLeodganj, a popular tourist destination, frequently experience traffic congestions, particularly during peak tourism seasons and major events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket matches at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium.
Additional superintendent of police (ASP) Hitesh Lakhanpal said, “The objective is to make Dharamshala a safer city for residents and visitors. This system will help ensure smoother traffic movement. The cameras will aid in improved traffic management and crime prevention. During IPL and international matches, this technology will be useful for crowd control on roads leading to the stadium.”
The system will automatically detect traffic violations such as speeding, driving without helmets or seat belts, driving on the wrong side and traffic light violations. They will then be sent live to the command and control room for generating e-challans.