With 1,668 Cameras Dead, Who’s Watching the Roads?

Nagpur: Nearly 45% of CCTV cameras installed across the city for traffic management and law enforcement are currently non-functional, severely hampering surveillance efforts. Traffic police officials said they are struggling to act against habitual violators as many cameras remain defunct. Despite earlier directives to restore the network, as many as 1,668 units are still non-operational.Under the Smart City project, 3,686 CCTV cameras were installed across Nagpur. However, poor maintenance over time has rendered a significant portion of them dysfunctional. Of the total network, only 2,018 cameras are presently operational, leaving nearly 1,668 — about 45% — out of service.
The breakdown has created operational bottlenecks for the traffic department, which relies heavily on CCTV footage to issue online challans for signal jumping, wrong-side driving and helmetless riding. With cameras at several key junctions lying defunct, enforcement coverage has shrunk considerably.Despite the constraints, the traffic department carried out extensive action in 2025 using available surveillance support, issuing 40,81,050 online challans. Officials conceded the figure could have been significantly higher had the entire network been functional. Between January 1 and February 18 this year, 44,036 challans were issued.The impact extends beyond traffic regulation. CCTV footage plays a vital role in crime detection, aiding investigations into accidents, murder, theft and robbery. The high number of defunct cameras has also affected investigative efficiency.Maintenance of the CCTV network had been entrusted to a private company, but technical issues persist. Senior officials of the municipal corporation stressed that proper upkeep of the surveillance infrastructure is crucial to curb violations and strengthen policing across the city.