Rourkela: Police have installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor traffic as well as law and order.

In the initial phase, three busy places - Udit Nagar Chowk, Basanti Colony and Civil township - have been brought under the CCTV scanner. Later, the railway station, daily market and its nearby areas will be brought under the monitoring.

Rourkela police superintendent Umashankar Dash said: "We have installed around 60 cameras, and this has been done with the private participation under their corporate social responsibility scheme. Under the smart city project, more such cameras would be placed, and the Rourkela Municipal Corporation will do it. On our end, we have taken this initiative to install the cameras for effective policing."

A central control room has been set up at the district intelligence bureau at Uditnagar. "The trial run is over, and now, we are keeping 24-hour watch on the developments taking place at the spots where the cameras have been installed," said Dash.

"We have all our police control room vans and the 100 helpline number connected by the GPS to the control room," he said.

He said: "We will extend this facility to other areas where we will involve banks and other commercial institutions. We also look forward to getting community participation." A private mining company has provided the cameras and other necessary equipment.

Local resident Lulu Panda said: "It will give us a sense of protection."