Traffic police station at Madhupatna Chhak in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Aug. 1: Thirty-two high-resolution closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras will shortly be installed at busy traffic junctions and strategic locations for better surveillance of city roads.

Senior police officials feel the cameras will help curb incidents of traffic violations and criminal activities as well.

The high-resolution cameras will be installed at Badambadi, Madhupatna Chhak, OMP Square, Sikharpur, Khannagar, Ranihat, Chandi Mandir and Buxi Bazaar areas.

Sources said that Madhupatna, Sikharpur and OMP Square are crucial junctions on National Highway-5 and act as entry and exit routes to different vital destinations in Cuttack.

Similarly, Badambadi, Khannagar, Ranihat and Buxi Bazar traffic junctions are also crucial because of the heavy flow of traffic and movement of people at these places.

“We have already identified spots for installation of CCTV cameras. While 32 CCTV cameras will be installed in the first phase, other crucial junctions and commercial markets will be covered in the subsequent phases,” said police commissioner R.P. Sharma.

Sharma said that the State Transport Authority has released Rs 50 lakh from the Road Safety Fund for the mega-project that seeks to strengthen security measures on the streets.

The city police have already installed CCTV cameras at various traffic junctions in Bhubaneswar and the Cuttack initiative is only a continuation of the ongoing process.

“Already work for installation of CCTV cameras has begun and we hope to complete all the necessary groundwork by Dussehra festival,” said assistant commissioner (traffic) P.K. Dalai.

A senior police official said that though advanced cameras were installed at different locations during Dussehra, the move to have similar facilities throughout the year at major traffic junctions and other strategic locations would be a major help in maintaining law and order.

To keep an eye on traffic violators and other law and order issues, officials of the respective police stations will monitor the images beamed by the 32 cameras from eight locations. There is also a proposal to link the cameras to the proposed modern control room that is likely to come up at the new office of the deputy commissioner of office at Cantonment Road.

“Installation of advanced cameras has now become a necessity to keep a tab on criminal activities, particularly at crowded places. Police officials should also take measures to install cameras in front of major education institutions and other public places, including at cinemas, in the city,” said Gyanaranjan Panda, a resident of Jagatpur.