The Hindu : New Delhi News : Objections over surveillance cameras of MCD

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Objections over surveillance cameras of MCD

New Delhi: The residents of the Walled City here are up in arms over the installation of surveillance cameras in the area by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, fearing that the devices meant for checking illegal constructions could lead to intrusion into their privacy.

The civic body has put up two 5-km range cameras atop the Kasturba Gandhi Hospital building and LIC building in Old Delhi on an experimental basis to look for any illegal construction activity in the area.

The project was originally conceived by Chandni Chowk MP and Union Minister Kapil Sibal.

Locals, however, raising objections to the project, fearing that the images received from the cameras at the City Zone office control room of the MCD could be misused.

The Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, told PTI that the cameras are “an intrusion into the privacy of the Muslim families”.

“We are against the installation of cameras in the area. It is meant to monitor Muslim areas only. Why such cameras are not installed in other areas?

“They (the MCD) say it is to detect illegal construction. But there are other ways to do (it). Find another way to do that,” he said.

City Zone Deputy Commissioner Vijay Singh said the fears are unfounded.

“The cameras can only see the rooftops and there is no way to intrude inside the houses,” he said. - PTI

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