BA Block is now under CCTV surveillance. Work started on the pilot project over the weekend and there are eight cameras installed around the block now.
“We are starting with the heart of the block — the community hall. Not only have we installed cameras outside the hall, but there are also some inside, spread out on the ground and the first floor,” said president of the block association Arunava Das.
Executive committee member Shuvamoy Mitra said that residents had been asking for CCTV cover at their meetings and that this was, in fact, on the election agenda of the new committee. The reasons for seeking surveillance are multiple. BA Block has about 210 plots, out of which two or three are vacant. It flanks Duttabad on one side and is a major entry point into Salt Lake, especially for those headed to Hariyana Vidya Mandir or Salt Lake School, CA Market or BA-CA Park.
“My house was robbed a few years ago and during the pandemic former councillor Anindya Chatterjee’s house was robbed too, although his items were later recovered,” said secretary Prasenjit Saha. “We have night guards and the police patrols the block off and on but residents would feel safer knowing our streets were under surveillance. Miscreants would also not dare to strike if they know they would get caught on camera.”
Joint secretary Tirthankar Dasgupta pointed to the numerous guest houses and spas that have mushroomed as well as the cars of outsiders that stay parked for hours, sometimes blocking their gates. “Autos also use our lanes to bypass congestion around PNB Island to reach the exit from Salt Lake. It clogs our roads and is dangerous as we have children running and cycling in the lanes,” he said. “In case of an eventuality, we should be able to hand over CCTV footage to the police.”
Sen, the secretary, has held meetings with the police for their suggestions. “They mainly want the entry and exit points of the block to be covered and we shall do that next,” he said. Members are now drawing up maps of their lanes to determine where and how many more cameras must be installed.
As of now, the first phase that cost about Rs 65,000 has been funded by the block association but they would probably seek donations from residents for future phases. “We should cover the entire block with cameras in a year and a half,” says Das. “Also, our MLA plans to provide CCTVs around Salt Lake from his fund and we shall co-ordinate with his team to avoid duplication of sites.”
Elsewhere in the township, BC Block has had CCTVs since 2018 and CG Block has installed 46 cameras in their lanes and should be inaugurating the service in a fortnight, said CG Block general secretary Sankar Prosad Deb.
Electronic vigil
Number of plots: About 210
Number of cameras in phase 1: 8
Cost: Rs 65,000
Funded by: Block association
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