First mandal in the state to install CCTVs

Collective efforts by villagers assisted by local police have made Khanapur mandal, once a Naxal bastion in Warangal (Rural) district, earn a distinction of its own.A total of 88 CCTV cameras have been set up in nine villages in the mandal under Khanapur police station limits. The mandal has become the first rural mandal in the State to have installed CCTV cameras. All the CCTV cameras are linked to the command and control unit at the police station.�

The programme taken up under �Nenu Saitham� initiative is yielding positive results in terms of crime prevention and detection. �Two theft cases took place a few weeks ago at Khanapur. We were able to solve the cases within 24 hours with the help of CCTV footage� Narsampet ACP V Sunitha Mohan told .

�Every nook and corner of the villages and all entry and exit points in the mandal are covered by the CCTV network. We used high quality cameras. With the help of a web-based application, we have the CCTV network feed connected to our smartphones�, the ACP said.

Similarly, CCTVs were also installed in 104 villages in six mandals in Narsampet division under East Zone of Warangal Police Commissionerate with command control centres at local gram panchayat offices.

�Use of technology is enabling us to monitor law and order situation from anywhere,� she noted. �We campaigned for two months in villages in Khanapur mandal sensitising individuals, residents and businessmen with the help of elected representatives on the need to install CCTVs� , informed Khanapur police sub-inspector M Abhinav.

Residents have come forward voluntarily to ensure their villages are under the surveillance of CCTV cameras. There are 20 CCTV cameras at all vantage points installed at mandal headquarters alone, he said.

The response from the villagers towards our campaign to install CCTVs is overwhelming. We appreciate people in the mandal for coming forward voluntarily to be part of the government�s efforts to reduce the crime rate, said Venkateshwarlu, East Zone DCP.

Commissioner of Police (CP), Vishwanath Ravinder said that CCTV cameras were installed in 620 villages under the commissionerate that includes Warangal (Urban), Warangal (Rural) and Jangaon districts. Sub-control units are set up police station and division wise, with 45 per cent of cameras linked to command control at the commissionerate headquarters, he added.

�We can now move in the streets without fear even during nights, said Veldandi Vijaya of Kothur village, while a resident of Budaraopet said that after installing CCTV cameras, nuisance by drunkards and eve-teasers has come down.

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