NMC officials stated that the survey will allow Keltron to prepare a comprehensive restoration plan
The city’s ambitious smart surveillance network, which has been severely hampered by over a thousand non-functional cameras since its installation, is set for a major overhaul following a new municipal contract. State-owned electronics firm Keltron has begun a detailed survey of major intersections across the city to assess the number of functional cameras and the replacements required.
The survey is the first step after the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) signed a RS 125 crore, five-year operations and maintenance contract with Keltron. Of the 3,682 cameras installed under the project in 2017, city officials acknowledge that over a thousand have ceased functioning, rendering large parts of the network ineffective for law enforcement and traffic monitoring.
NMC officials stated that the survey will allow Keltron to prepare a comprehensive restoration plan, prioritising junctions that have been left with “blind spots.” The exercise is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, after which a formal work order will be issued for the repair and replacement of the defunct equipment. Once restored, the CCTV grid is intended to significantly enhance traffic management and public safety across Nagpur.
The push to revive the network is being coupled with new administrative measures to protect the system’s backbone. NMC administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari has issued a directive ordering all civic and development agencies to treat the Smart City’s optical fibre network as an “essential public service.”
This instruction follows repeated disruptions caused by indiscriminate digging, particularly during monsoon work, which frequently cripples the CCTV connectivity. Although the Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL) has an existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) mandating prior clearance and supervision for any excavation, rampant digging has repeatedly cut fibre lines.
With the intervention of Keltron and the stricter enforcement of protection norms, officials hope the city’s RS 470 crore ‘Nagpur Safe and Smart City’ project will finally deliver a reliable, technology-driven surveillance system.