Police have installed 48 high-resolution closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at six important ghats of Patna to keep a watch on revellers during Chhath.
Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jitender Rana told The Telegraph that their plan to install the cameras at all the ghats couldn’t materialise.
“To ensure that one gets live feeds through the CCTV cameras, cables need to be laid. That involves huge cost. Patna has a web of CCTV cameras in different parts of the city. It is not possible to lay cables all around the city near the ghats. The existing cables, which are connected to the already functional CCTV cameras in different parts of the city have been altered and extended to ensure that at least six of the major ghats can be covered and we can get live feeds of the activities going on during Chhath. Ghats where CCTV installation is not possible, videography arrangements have been done,” the SSP said.
The six ghats — Collectorate, Mahendru, Gandhi, Kali, Gai and Bhadra — witness over a lakh footfall each during Chhath. “A total of 48 CCTV cameras have been installed at the ghats and arrangements have been made for round-the-clock monitoring,” he said.
“The cameras can record activities even after dark. They have been installed at different spots of the six ghats and will be monitored all the time from the control room of the police headquarters. We have arranged for videography at the rest of the ghats with the help of experts. In some of the ghats, small control rooms will be set up for prompt monitoring,” the SSP said.
The district administration would announce the list of dangerous ghats of Patna by Monday evening.
On Wednesday, devotees would visit the ghats in the evening, and the next day rituals will be performed in the early morning.
“Though police will be deployed at the ghats all the time, they should be present at the specific locations assigned to them at least two hours before devotees start coming to the ghats. They should always be in touch with each other and take the initiative to exchange each others’ mobile phone numbers,” the SSP said.
