In a remarkable display of community vigilance, residents of Gujarat's sensitive border district of Kutch are taking their security into their own hands. Across the vast salt flats and remote hamlets, villagers are privately funding and installing a comprehensive network of CCTV cameras, transforming local participation into a robust defence mechanism.
Bridging the Rural Surveillance Gap
While major urban centres like Ahmedabad and Surat have long benefited from extensive camera networks for policing and civic management, rural and remote areas of Gujarat have largely remained uncovered. This security gap became starkly apparent in Kutch following Operation Sindoor. In response, over the past eight months, the Kutch police have spearheaded an effort to install surveillance cameras in nearly 75% of the district's villages, an ambitious project made viable primarily through public contributions.
Kutch's unique geography, sharing both a land and maritime border with Pakistan, necessitates constant vigilance from the police, Border Security Force (BSF), and other agencies. The district's border villages are often remote and sparsely populated, making it challenging to detect infiltrators despite having local informants. To address this, the East Kutch police launched the Safe East Kutch Campaign, aiming to fortify surveillance at the village level.
How the Community-Powered Initiative Works
Sagar Bagmar, Superintendent of Police for Kutch (East), explained the strategy. Police held meetings with villagers across various jurisdictions to outline the need for covering village entry and exit points, marketplaces, and other critical areas. They appealed for financial support in the interest of national security, a call that was warmly received.
Villagers, according to their financial capacity, procured and installed cameras at locations identified by the police. These include:
- Village entry and exit points
- Sensitive border stretches
- Religious sites
- Other socially significant public spaces
The live camera feeds are monitored at village panchayat offices, with police accessing footage as needed. Panchayat members actively watch the feeds and alert the police to any suspicious activity, creating a real-time alert system.
Tangible Results and Expansion Plans
The initiative took root in the border villages of Balasar and Khadir. It has since expanded dramatically. Of the 300 villages in East Kutch, 221 are now covered by this network, boasting over 2,600 cameras. Authorities plan to install another 1,200 cameras within the next three months to bring all remaining villages under surveillance.
The impact is already measurable. "Beyond monitoring suspicious movements, the cameras have helped solve recent crimes, including murder cases and temple thefts," added SP Bagmar. A parallel community-backed drive is progressing in Kutch West as well. Vikas Sunda, SP of Kutch (West), reported that 171 cameras have been installed at sensitive locations under 25 police stations so far.
The campaign enjoys strong grassroots backing. Farmer Velji Daiya from Bela village, who donated three cameras, stated that villagers embraced the idea without hesitation, recognizing its importance for their safety and national security. This public-private partnership model is setting a new precedent for security in India's border regions.
