Jeth Nagar RWA to ramp up surveillance system 

On the afternoon of February 15, an autorickshaw went missing at Jeth Nagar in Mylapore. The driver had just stepped out of the vehicle to collect the fare from the hirer’s house when the theft happened. Within two days, the police arrested the culprit and retrieved the autorickshaw. In 2019, the police had solved another case of theft in Jeth Nagar — one involving jewels and cash — in strikingly short time. CCTV cameras installed by Jeth Nagar Residents Association enabled the police to solve both the cases swiftly. Ravi Nandyala, founder-member of the Association, says “We have nine such success stories that prove that spending towards CCTV surveillance system is worthwhile. We installed CCTV cameras three years ago, before which incidents of chain snatching and mobile phone-snatching were rampant in Jeth Nagar. On an average, five incidents would be reported every month. We installed 30 cameras across Jeth Nagar at a cost of Rs.1.5 lakh; and that led to a sharp drop in such cases.” The Association has plans to increase the number of CCTV cameras in Jeth Nagar; and this time, it would be high-end Internet Protocol (IP) CCTV cameras. “We are opting for the IP system because it is wireless. In the last six months, the association spent Rs.28,000 in repairing some of the existing cameras because miscreants kept cutting the cables of these cameras. Next, the image captured by an IP camera is clearer,” says Ravi. The Association has named volunteer for each of the eight streets in Jeth Nagar. They created awareness among the residents about the necessity to move towards the advanced security system and collected money for the cause. “Of the 185 families in Jeth Nagar, 50 have contributed money and they made this possible. We will be buying 16 IP cameras and the related devices at a cost estimated at Rs.1 lakh,” adds Ravi. Jeth Nagar Residents Associaiton was formed five years ago with two prime objectives: cleanliness of the colony and its safety. “We collect Rs.800 per year from each family. A significant amount from this fund goes towards the maintenance of CCTV cameras. We expect our shift to IP cameras will reduce the maintenance cost considerably,” says Ravi.