PUNE: As many as 350 closed-circuit television cameras have been installed in and around Perne village to step up surveillance around the Koregoan Bhima memorial, about 35km from the city.
The closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras would keep a watch on visitors congregating at the memorial on January 1, 2020, the 202nd anniversary of the battle of
Koregaon Bhima
. Besides, the rural police will use at least 10 drone cameras for aerial recce in the surrounding areas of the memorial.
“The police have created a special control room, where the personnel will monitor footage of each camera and analyse them in real time. If they come across any suspicious activity, they will coordinate with the officers on the ground,” superintendent of police (Pune rural) Sandeep Patil told TOI on Thursday.
“Last year, CCTV monitoring had not only helped us in controlling the situation but also in understanding the mob psychology right from parking zones. Our personnel could handle some aggressive groups carrying flags and posters because of it,” said a senior police officer from the rural police.
The installed cameras cover adequate area of the memorial. “The quality and the range of each camera is good. Hence, our personnel will be able to trace the route of each person, if required,” said the officer.
Patil said, “We have conducted several rounds of meetings with the villagers in the past few days to develop coordination and create confidence. We have urged them to contact police if they come across any suspicious activity in and around their localities. Besides, our local police personnel are working in tandem with the village-level politicians and police patils of the villages near Koregaon Bhima.”
Additional director-general of police (law and order) Rajneesh Seth, inspector-general (Kolhapur range) Suhas Warke and other senior officers visited the village on Thursday to take stock of the situation and preparations.
Many people from across the state are expected to visit the memorial on January 1 next year. The memorial commemorates the battle fought between the British and the
Peshwa
troops on January 1, 1818. Violence had marred the 200th anniversary event on January 1, 2018.
Installation of flex boards without prior permission from the Shikrapur and Loni Kand police would not be allowed during the anniversary of the battle of Koregaon Bhima. The Pune rural police’s move is to ensure peace, law and order in and around Perne village.
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