Nashik will begin trial operations of 1,500 CCTV cameras after Diwali as the city prepares an expanded surveillance and crowd-management system for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027. The first phase will test camera operations, monitoring procedures and coordination through the Command and Control Centre at the Smart City office in Panchavati.
The Nashik Municipal Corporation has shifted focus to completing infrastructure projects linked to the Kumbh Mela after the flag-hoisting ceremony. Officials said the CCTV trials would help identify operational gaps well before millions of devotees arrive for the religious congregation.
Nashik Municipal Smart City Development Corporation Ltd is installing 5,500 cameras across Nashik and Trimbakeshwar. Of these, 4,500 are planned for Nashik city and 1,000 for Trimbakeshwar. The network is intended to monitor crowd movement, traffic flow and security arrangements at locations expected to experience heavy footfall during the event.
NMC commissioner Manisha Khatri said the civic body would soon begin testing the cameras already installed in the city. “In the first phase, we will conduct trials of around 1,500 CCTVs already installed in the city to check their operations through the Command and Control Centre. The cameras will also be used to implement and test crowd-management standard operating procedures well in advance,” she told the Times of India.
The cameras are being installed along Shahi Marg procession routes, at Sadhugram, on roads leading to Ramkund and the Godavari ghats, at city entry points, in designated parking zones and at major road intersections. These locations connect the event’s religious routes with the city’s everyday transport network, making the system relevant to both Kumbh operations and routine traffic management.
Officials said the integrated network would support faster emergency response and improve coordination between agencies monitoring public safety, traffic and crowd movement. The trial phase is also expected to help authorities test standard operating procedures before the main gathering begins.
The surveillance system is being supported by an optical fibre network. Around 355 km of the proposed fibre network has been completed, while work on the remaining stretches is being coordinated with ongoing road and infrastructure projects in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, according to officials.
The project’s effectiveness will depend not only on the number of cameras installed but also on their connectivity, monitoring capacity and integration with response systems. The current trials are intended to test those operational arrangements before the 2027 event.
Officials said a dedicated timeline had been prepared for Kumbh-related projects and that progress was being monitored regularly to ensure completion before Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027. The expanded surveillance infrastructure is also expected to remain available for routine city monitoring after the event.
