KRISHNAGIRI: Taking a step towards self-reliance, residents of Mallapadi in Bargur taluk have installed nine CCTVs worth ` two lakh in the village and linked it with the local police station. Mallapadi Makkal Arakattalai, a charitable trust run by the villagers, accomplished this with help from police department.
E Ilaya Bharathi (42), secretary of the trust, said, “ We have around 200 members and have been doing several welfare activities since 2020, like desilting water channels and renovating school toilets with support of NGOs. We planned to install CCTV cameras in the village and approached Bargur police.
They donated six CCTV cameras and we arranged three through sponsors. The cameras are installed at the entry and exit points of the villages, near the bus stand and close to Panchayat Union Primary School. A cable connection was laid from Bargur police station to the village for a distance of 3. 5 km. The feed from the CCTV cameras can be viewed by Bargur police. We hope the CCTV camera would bring down crime in the area.”
Mallapadi panchayat has over 19 villages and over 7, 500 population, in which Mallapadi village has over 2, 000 population.
Bargur DSP KM Manoharan said, “The team has done good work, also this will be easy for police to trace if any suspects pass by the village. There are six police stations in Bargur sub-division, with the support of private players, CCTVs have been installed near Pochampalli police station, but as a community responsibility Mallapadi people are supporting police and it’s the only village where CCTVs are linked to the police station. Other should also follow them.”