CHENNAI: In an attempt to curb illegal activities along Thiru Vi Ka Bridge in Adyar, Chennai City Police has installed six CCTV cameras at two locations on either side of the bridge. Three cameras near the flower vendor shops on Adyar Bridge Road and three near Malligai Poo Nagar settlements on Durgabai Deshmukh Road were installed two months ago by the police. The cameras are positioned in a way that one camera overlooks the river bed, one towards the traffic flowing on the bridge, and one point towards the flyover on Sardar Patel Road.
Though the prime reason behind this initiative is to monitor law and order activities and to prevent suicides along the bridge, curbing illegal discharge of untreated sewage by private tanker lorries is another important purpose, said a senior police officer. “Though Thiru Vi Ka Bridge is an important location as it connects north and south divisions of the city, it is a vulnerable spot, too. The low levels of the side walls along the bridge make it easy for people to climb over it. Other than this, we have also received many complaints of private lorries polluting the river,” he said.
Meera Ravikumar, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, had observed a private tanker discharging cement slurry into the Adyar River five months ago, and had informed the police about this. “When I filed a complaint in March about this incident, they immediately found the culprit and arrested him. They also told me that there were no funds to install cameras here. A week back I got a call from the local police station informing me about this installation. This will bring down the incidence of such activities,” said Meera, a member of citizen’s group in Arappor Iyakkam.
Similarly, three weeks ago after a resident complained to the police about a private lorry dumping waste into a lake near Kallukuttai area in Thoraipakkam, they plan to install cameras here, said the official. “Both the lorry driver and owner of that private firm were arrested. Now, we will have digital evidence of such activities along the Adyar River and its banks,” he said.In the next two months, 30 more cameras will be installed covering the entire stretch from Broken Bridge till Thiru Vi Ka Bridge in addition to the existing 70 cameras.
Cameras here
Three cameras near the flower vendor shops on Adyar Bridge Road and three near Malligai Poo Nagar settlements on Durgabai Deshmukh Road were installed two months ago by the police. The cameras are positioned in a way that one camera overlooks the river bed, one towards the traffic flowing on the bridge, and one point towards the flyover on Sardar Patel Road.