SHILLONG, Jan 18: Barely two months after the much-publicised inauguration of the Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) under the Shillong Smart City Project, many of the LED screens installed across the city have started malfunctioning, raising concerns about the project’s effectiveness.
The ICCC was inaugurated by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on November 20 last year.
The LED screens, installed as part of the ICCC, were meant to disseminate information and alerts in real-time.
The ICCC project also includes an Intelligent Traffic Management System, which incorporates 20 Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras at key traffic junctions identified by the police. These cameras were supposed to monitor traffic violations such as overspeeding and illegal parking to help reduce congestion and accidents.
Sources indicated that the project has not yet been fully handed over to the police for operational use and as such, it is unclear whether any traffic violators have been apprehended using these systems.
The City Surveillance System under the project boasts 328 cameras, including 20 equipped with face recognition technology, capable of 24×7 monitoring and continuous recording for post-event analysis.
Additionally, the ICCC includes a Solid Waste Management System involving GPS-enabled garbage trucks, 200 smart bins, and algorithm-based waste pickup routing. These features, coupled with biometric attendance for sanitation workers, were intended to improve waste collection and disposal efficiency. However, improvements in cleanliness and waste management are yet to be realised.
The ICCC project, implemented at a cost of over Rs 220 crore, was envisioned as a centralised hub for city operations, emergency response, surveillance and public assistance. Despite its ambitious scope, tangible benefits are still missing, leaving citizens questioning its efficacy. Commissioner and Secretary of Urban Affairs Department Vijay Kumar D did not respond to queries about the malfunctioning screens or the overall progress of the project.
Need for prompt action
The delay in fully operationalising critical components of the ICCC project, coupled with technical glitches, has cast doubts over the effectiveness of the initiative.
Experts and citizens alike are urging the government to address these issues promptly for ensuring that the project fulfils its promise of improving city management and quality of life.
As the city awaits visible changes, the success of the Shillong Smart City Project hangs in the balance. Accountability and swift action are the need of the hour.
