2 days ago
On paper and ground, the smartness is poles apart
They are anything but smart, and are standing tall without performing any of their intended roles. The 49 'smart poles', that cost 5 lakh each and were installed across the city under the Chennai Smart City Mission five years ago are now defunct, and contribute zilch to public safety.
Reason: The firm that took a five-year contract for maintenance did nothing to keep the poles working. Yet, no one has been taken to task and penalised for lapses.
These poles are equipped with SOS emergency buttons, CCTV cameras, Wi-Fi, and public announcement systems, and were meant to act as support systems, especially for women and children in distress. But today, they lie unused, ignored, and in many places, broken.
Installed in 2021 by Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in busy public spaces, the poles lost their purpose initially due to lack of awareness among the public and later due to non-maintenance by authorities.
A smart pole near the pedestrian complex on Thyagaraya Road is surrounded by vendors, and its SOS button does not work. CCTV cameras are missing, and there is no visible Wi-Fi signal. Another on Venkatanarayana Road is in a similar condition, with its emergency call button broken.
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Other poles located in areas like Natesan Park, GN Chetty Road, Cathedral Road, and West Mambalam have also conked out, with damaged or missing parts.
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The civic body had announced free Wi-Fi access for 30 minutes a day. But when TOI tried connecting to the poles in T Nagar and near Semmozhi Poonga, the network was unavailable. The smart pole project had a five-year maintenance contract, but officials say it wasn't enforced.
"We are fining the contractor for the lack of upkeep," said the GCC official.
When contacted, GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran said, "The poles are outdated. People have adapted to the 5G network, which can never be compared to public Wi-Fi. GCC is not looking to invest more in renovating the smart pole system, but the CCTVs in disrepair might be replaced."
Residents lament that the public was not properly informed about the services available through these smart poles.
According to GCC data, 2,594 residents used the services in the first month of its installation.
Several poles are located close to police stations. On Marina Beach, the smart pole near the lighthouse is just five minutes away from the D5 police station, while another near Ezhilagam is three minutes from the D6 Anna Square police station. In Thiruvanmiyur, the pole is right next to a police booth. The one outside Ripon Buildings is only a four-minute walk from Periamet police station.
With police presence nearby, residents question the need for an SOS button that connects to the same places they can walk to.
"For almost a year, I thought these smart poles were water dispensers. There's a bunk shop on Semmozhi Poonga bus stop on Cathedral Road. I've been using this road for many years, and I didn't know the GCC was providing free Wi-Fi through these poles," said P Saritha, a regular commuter.
A Virgil, a gender lab expert, said, "The smart poles project has great features, on paper, but in reality, people are not aware of the usage. A community survey should be conducted by GCC to sensitise people before implementing such projects."
The smart pole initiative was inaugurated during the AIADMK tenure, said deputy mayor M Mahesh Kumar. "Measures will be taken to ensure that the CCTVs, and Wi-Fi are functional on the smart poles," he added.
