VIJAYAWADA: Taking inspiration from the successful implementation of ASTraM, an AI-driven tool for traffic and crowd management in the NTR district, the State police are considering its rollout across all districts.
Director General of Police (DGP) Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao recently reviewed the system, which demonstrated efficient traffic control and crowd management during Dasara festivities and the Bhavani Deeksha relinquishment in Vijayawada.
ASTraM (Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Traffic Management), integrates data from Google Maps, My Maps, Ola, Uber and CCTV cameras. It sends real-time alerts to traffic police through WhatsApp and Telegram, coordinated by an integrated command and control room.
Developed as a pilot project by NTR district police in collaboration with Hyderabad-based consultant Arcadis, ASTraM initially focused on traffic issues but later expanded to include cloud patrolling, yielding promising results.
The Tirupati stampede on January 8, where six devotees lost their lives during token collection for Lord Venkateswara Swami’s darshan, underscored the urgent need for improved crowd management. To prevent such incidents, the State police are exploring ways to adapt ASTraM for broader use, enabling centralised monitoring of emergencies from police headquarters.
NTR, Kurnool and Eluru districts are utilising AI and drones in policing. The State police department is assessing operational challenges and outcomes to refine these technologies. An official said the government’s emphasis on technology-driven policing could soon see ASTraM deployed statewide.