Nagpur's Smart City Surveillance System Faces Major Credibility Crisis
Nagpur's much-publicized Smart and Safe surveillance system is confronting a serious credibility crisis, with police authorities flagging nearly 2,000 to 2,200 unmapped locations that remain outside the CCTV network nearly seven years after the ambitious project was launched. This revelation exposes significant gaps in what was promoted as a comprehensive urban security initiative.
Critical Blind Spots in Surveillance Coverage
Currently, approximately 700 junctions across Nagpur are under surveillance through more than 3,600 cameras. However, police officials have formally requested civic authorities to urgently expand the system, highlighting that large stretches of the city continue to function as blind spots. This deficiency significantly weakens both crime monitoring capabilities and traffic enforcement effectiveness throughout the metropolitan area.
Senior officials emphasized that expansion of the CCTV network has become unavoidable, as several critical areas were never covered when the Smart City surveillance project was initially implemented during 2018-19. Prominent localities including Mahal and Vidhan Bhavan Square still lack adequate camera coverage despite being among the busiest zones in the entire city.
Rapid Urban Expansion Exposes Surveillance Gaps
With Nagpur expanding rapidly over recent years, many newly developed stretches and arterial roads remain completely unmapped in the surveillance network. The Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL) has now decided to conduct a fresh city-wide survey within the next four months to identify additional locations requiring surveillance coverage.
"Once the survey is completed, the Smart City authorities, along with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, will submit a detailed report to the state government seeking additional funds for expanding the CCTV network," stated Vasumana Pant, officiating NSSCDCL chief executive officer and additional municipal commissioner.
Operational and Maintenance Challenges Compound Problems
The situation has been further complicated by significant operational and maintenance issues. On August 12, 2025, the Smart City administration awarded a five-year operation and maintenance contract worth Rs 70 crore to Keltron. Despite this substantial investment, nearly 1,287 cameras have reportedly developed faults and require urgent repairs, forcing authorities to engage three separate agencies to restore system functionality.
Keltron has also identified a lack of work fronts on several critical stretches, including major junction corridors such as the road from Agrasen Square to Ashok Chowk and sections of Koradi Road. Officials confirmed that approximately 100 "non-operational devices" (NODs) remain unrestored due to unresolved infrastructure issues.
Legacy Issues from Previous Contractors
The existing surveillance network was originally installed by Larsen & Toubro Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. However, after the company's agreement concluded, it exited the project, leaving more than 1,300 cameras non-functional for extended periods. Police authorities indicate this lapse severely compromised surveillance capabilities in sensitive zones throughout Nagpur, undermining public safety initiatives.
This comprehensive failure highlights systemic challenges in implementing and maintaining large-scale urban surveillance systems, raising questions about accountability and effectiveness in Nagpur's Smart City transformation journey.
