Gurgaon, Bangalore mulling own video surveillance network

the administration of several Indian cities are planning to set up their own video surveillance network to monitor security in and around major installations and crowded areas.

"Lot of tenders will be issued by the middle of this year, including those by major city administrations. We will be participating in this process," Benhur Mesfin, a top officer of US-based Motorola company, said here.

"We have received a few Request for Information (RFIs) from the interested district and state administrations in this regard," he said.

RFIs are floated by government agencies to know about the types of products available in the market before going for their procurement.

Among the interested cities are Gurgaon and Bangalore, where broadband wireless-based equipment would be used not only for traffic management, but also for keeping an eye on suspicious movements in crowded areas.

Software provided with the video surveillance systems had the capability to identify particular faces searched for by security agencies. "You just have to put the picture of one or more than one suspects in the system and you can find him in a huge crowd also," he said.

Mesfin said the software can even help in counting the number of people in the crowd.

He said that such a video surveillance system had proved to be helpful for London Police in identifying the bombers in the 7/7 attacks in London.

The company is also in talks with companies involved in modernisation and renovation of metro and non-metro airports for provision of surveillance equipments, not only for terminal buildings but on the airport perimeter and surrounding areas as well.

Mesfin, director of Motorola's Wireless Broadband Division, said talks were on with the Delhi International Airport Limited, as also with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and metro firms of Bangalore and Mumbai.