Pune to Undergo 500 km Roadwork for CCTV Installation
Pune is set to experience large-scale road digging as part of a project to expand the city’s CCTV surveillance network. The plan involves installing 1,200 new CCTV cameras, which will require around 500 km of roads to be excavated. The proposal has been submitted to the municipal authorities for approval.
Over the past few years, the city’s roads have already been dug up multiple times for various infrastructure projects, including the equitable water supply scheme and mobile network expansions. Authorities have spent nearly ₹500 crore on road repairs, but this new round of excavation could once again damage roads that were recently restored.
As per regulations, municipal authorities could collect ₹600 crore in excavation fees, which could be used for road repairs. However, a request has been made for a waiver of these charges, similar to what was granted for a previous CCTV project. If the waiver is approved, it will result in a significant revenue loss, and the financial burden of repairing the roads will fall on the civic body, adding pressure to the budget.
Apart from CCTV installation, the city will also see road digging for disaster management centres, Smart City projects, and traffic signal upgrades. In total, nearly 1,000 km of roads are expected to be dug up over the next year, raising concerns among citizens about worsening road conditions and increased traffic congestion.
Authorities have assured that efforts will be made to minimise the impact of the work. However, many residents remain sceptical, as poor-quality road repairs have been a recurring issue in the city. While the expansion of CCTV surveillance aims to improve safety, proper planning is crucial to avoid long-term inconvenience to the public.
