KOCHI: Even as Kochi city police continue to function without cloud storage for about 400 CCTV cameras — an issue highlighted in a TNIE report last month — the expiry of the operations and maintenance (O&M) contract for 19 crucial traffic signals has emerged as a fresh concern, adding to the force’s technological challenges.
The O&M contract for the signals, including at the key Vyttila junction, expired on December 31, leaving the force without technical support in the event of system failure. Officials warn that any major malfunction could severely disrupt traffic movement and compromise road safety.
State public sector undertaking Keltron had been entrusted with the operational maintenance of the signals. With the contract having lapsed, city police have no immediate mechanism to carry out repairs. “If a signal develops a technical snag, we have no option but to manage traffic manually. This is already a concern at Vyttila junction,” an officer said.
The signal maintenance issue comes at a time when cops are already grappling with the lack of cloud storage for around 400 CCTV cameras across the city. Restoring the storage system would require nearly `7 crore, but the proposal is yet to be cleared by authorities.
In the absence of cloud access, officers are dependent on private-surveillance cameras installed in residential and commercial buildings. While policing can continue without cloud storage, senior officers admit the lack of centralised footage significantly increases the time taken to detect crimes and track offenders.
Both issues, officers said, were brought to the notice of the top brass well in advance.
Traffic officers monitoring the situation on the ground said prolonged signal failures could put motorists at risk.
“We can deploy personnel to manage traffic manually, but doing so at multiple major intersections is manpower-intensive and difficult to sustain,” an officer said.
Police have temporarily intensified patrolling and increased manual traffic regulation at vulnerable junctions. However, officers concede that relying on traditional methods is far from ideal, particularly during the election period when political rallies, public meetings and VIP movement will increase across the city.
“There is no clarity on how long this situation will continue. Many of us are hoping that both the signal maintenance issue and the CCTV cloud storage problem will be resolved before the election notification,” an officer said.
If both issues persist into the election period, officers warned, the force will have to manage law and order, traffic and crime prevention with limited technological support.