Unpaid dues halt Raipur’s 157cr smart traffic network

RAIPUR: A funding roadblock in Raipur’s Smart City mission has forced the abrupt shutdown of the ₹157.7-crore Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS).With operations suspended today due to non-payment for more than six months, the sudden loss of high-tech traffic management and surveillance raises immediate concerns about commuter safety, emergency response, and impending gridlock.The deactivation of the ‘Daksh’ intelligence network means automated signals at over 40 strategic locations in Raipur no longer dynamically adapt to vehicle density. For daily commuters, this reversion to standard, unoptimized signals brings the looming threat of severe peak-hour bottlenecks. According to traffic officials, the disruption was triggered by a prolonged payment backlog, which led network operators to abruptly suspend services.The shutdown has placed a heavy physical toll on the local traffic department. Stripped of automated support, officers are being rapidly redeployed to manually manage choked intersections. “We are facing major disruptions, and highly chaotic road conditions could develop,” a top police officer warned. “A severely stretched manual workforce must now navigate the immense vehicular pressure of a growing capital without any live data feeds.

” This manual strain risks exhausting ground personnel and pulling them away from routine enforcement.The blackout also extends to the Integrated City Command and Control Centre (ICCC), blinding 372 CCTV cameras and 36 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) units. This loss of digital eyes removes a crucial layer of public safety, temporarily hampering the police’s ability to track fleeing vehicles, hit-and-run suspects, or reckless drivers.For the common man, the financial crunch has directly dismantled roadside emergency safety nets. Over 83 emergency call boxes and 20 smart poles, designed to provide instant access to the police control room during medical crises or accidents, are currently dead, leaving stranded motorists without a direct lifeline. Similarly, public address networks and digital signboards meant for real-time civic and weather alerts are offline.As authorities work to clear the administrative backlog, the temporary collapse of this vital infrastructure underscores the real-world challenges of sustaining Smart City projects, leaving citizens to navigate the roads without their promised technological safety net.