Tura, June 30: If you visit Tura, you will notice poles in various junctions around the town equipped with multiple cameras, including PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras. These paint a picture of a city straight out of a sci-fi movie where the authority monitors everything and has control on every aspect. But the reality of Tura is far from this fiction. In fact, these installations are not even functioning, forget active monitoring!

The CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) cameras are typically installed in towns and cities for surveillance and traffic monitoring. The footage from these cameras is recorded to aid police investigations and establish evidence in criminal activities. PTZ cameras, in particular, allow operators to pan, tilt, and zoom, providing a 360-degree view and the ability to focus on specific subjects. These cameras also offer night vision capabilities, ensuring surveillance even in low-light conditions. Such advanced technology is meant to enhance public safety by helping law enforcement catch criminals and monitor anti-social activities.

However, Tura faces a significant issue with its CCTV system. An estimated 98% of the cameras are defunct and inoperative. Out of ten locations, only one or two have functioning cameras, while the rest are either defunct or have not been repaired. For example, at Araimile Junction, the pole for the CCTV camera is merely placed on the side of the footpath, and at Holycross Junction, the camera is missing altogether.

The locations of the installed cameras include:
1. Tura Bazar
2. Hawakhana Junction
3. Tura PS Junction
4. CS Office Junction – Babupara
5. AOC Petrol Pump Junction
6. Tetengkol Junction
7. Araimile Junction
8. Holycross Junction
9. Ringre Junction
10. Chandmari Junction

Recently, Tura has experienced a surge in bike thefts and car battery and tire thefts, even near a police station where vehicles are kept after being detained. Although the police have recovered some stolen items, the confidence of anti-social elements seems to have increased. In one incident at the end of 2023, an off-duty DSP-level officer was assaulted by a drunk driver near the Chitoktak area. However, the police were unable to apprehend the perpetrator because the CCTV in the Chandmari area was defunct, and nearby shop cameras were not properly aligned towards the roadside.

Another incident involved two youths on a motorbike evading a police checkpoint by making dangerous manoeuvres and gesturing rudely at the traffic constable when they were asked to stop.

In yet another incident, Hub News met the owner of a stolen Bajaj Platina motorbike, who was searching for footage in a shop’s CCTV DVR in Chandmari, expressed frustration. He said, “I am personally trying to get footage as I came to know that the CCTV manned by police is not working.”

These incidents highlight the vital role of functional CCTVs in assisting police to identify and prosecute perpetrators. The Office of the Director General of Police (DGP) in Meghalaya had issued a short notice in 2020 inviting quotations for the procurement of CCTV spare parts and equipment for Shillong and Tura under Memo PE.4/35/CCTV-TENDER/TECH/38. However, questions arise about whether this procurement was completed, and if so, why the CCTVs in Tura remain defunct.

In a recent development, around 300 new CCTVs with high-tech capabilities such as facial recognition are set to be installed in Shillong, while the old, defunct CCTVs in Tura continue to operate inadequately.

CCTVs were initially implemented in 2013 in Shillong and Tura by the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. By 2015, a total of 10 areas in Tura were covered by CCTV.

The persistence of defunct CCTVs in Tura and the rising crime rate necessitates an urgent need to promptly restore and upgrade the surveillance system to ensure public safety and effective law enforcement.

Also Read: Three districts of Meghalaya in top 20 most vulnerable soil loss districts in the country

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