Chitwan. The highways and market areas of Bharatpur Metropolitan City have been kept under the surveillance of CC cameras. The Bharatpur Metropolitan City, in collaboration with the District Police Office, Chitwan, has installed 418 new CCTV cameras.

A total of 204 CCTV cameras that were installed earlier are also being installed under this system. With this, 622 cameras will be installed in the metropolis. A control room has been set up at the premises of the District Police Office and monitoring has also started. According to Superintendent of Police Rameshwor Poudel, Chief of the District Police Office, 10 Nepal Police personnel have also been given a week-long training.

Bharatpur Metropolitan City has also provided training to the monitors. The technical capacity of the police has been enhanced to make the security arrangements more effective. The CCTV cameras installed inside the metropolis by sitting in the same control room have been monitored and arrangements have been made so that those violating traffic rules and committing criminal activities can be immediately arrested.

According to Anil Thapa, chief of the District Traffic Police Office, CCTV cameras with automatic number plate recognition system and speed measurement have been installed along the Tikauli and Narayangadh-Muglin road sections along the East-West Highway. Similarly, cameras with automatic number plate record system have been installed in Muglin, Ramnagar, Pulchowk and Ratnanagar. Thapa said, “The district police and traffic will monitor the CC cameras through an integrated control room.” He said that it was difficult to identify many accidents due to lack of CC cameras in the past.

Acting Mayor of the metropolis, Chitrasen Adhikari, said that the metropolis has provided assistance in the installation of CC cameras for the peace, security and law and order in the society, including criminal activities and vehicle accidents. The metropolis believes that this will help ease traffic management, help in reducing road accidents, control crime and play an effective role in maintaining peace and order. The metropolis has said that CC cameras have been installed targeting the entire urban area.

He said, “The CC cameras have been installed at a huge cost for the safe stay and peace of the residents of the metropolis.” The official said that the police working there have also been trained keeping in mind the use of the cameras after the installation of the cameras.

There are 29 wards in Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Eight to 20 cameras have been installed in each ward as per the requirement. The metropolis has installed the cameras at a cost of Rs 55,820,659 including Value Added Tax (VAT) from the budget of the last fiscal year. Out of the installed cameras, eight will measure speed and four will recognize automatic number plates. Similarly, there are nine cameras that can rotate and zoom 360 degrees.

Speed measurement and number plate detection cameras have been installed at the entry point of Bharatpur Metropolitan City. The cameras installed in the main urban areas where there is more movement of people and crowds have been found to be effective. The cameras have been installed after identifying sensitive areas based on the study of the police. In addition, an agreement has been signed with Nepal Telecom for the use of wires. According to the acting Chief Officer, an agreement has been made to pay Rs 47 lakh annually for using the GPN network of Nepal Telecom Bharatpur.