June 10, 2025: The "CCTV Surveillance System with Integrated Command & Control Centre" for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine was unveiled on Monday by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The Lieutenant Governor stated, "Cutting-edge technology will enable real-time monitoring and crowd management for devotee safety and security, and it will ensure a hassle-free pilgrimage." The Lieutenant Governor made the observation that the system will provide actionable insights that will enable prompt emergency response. The Command & Control Infrastructure, which includes a surveillance ecosystem powered by AI, will offer comprehensive situational awareness, improve operations, and facilitate quick and effective coordination with emergency responders. The large-scale, technology-driven surveillance and crowd management initiative will significantly enhance the safety and security, improve crowd control measures and operational efficiency within the Shrine area.
As part of the project, one Integrated Command & Control Center (ICCC) in Katra and seven Sub-Control Centers along the pilgrimage track have been established for localized monitoring and coordination. These centers will allow for proactive and prompt response to crowd buildup, security breaches, or medical emergencies and will ensure that all vulnerable and high-traffic zones are monitored round-the-clock. Over 700 cameras have been deployed across the Shrine Area, including 170 new high-definition IP cameras and integration of more than 500 existing cameras, covering all critical and vulnerable locations including entry/exit points, gathering areas, and the pilgrimage track.
Gesture Recognition, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Facial Recognition, an Intrusion Detection System, and Crowd Management Tools were also featured in the Project. Anshul Garg, CEO, SMVDSB gave a detailed presentation on the Integrated Command & Control Centre’s technical features and its anticipated benefits in day-to-day shrine functioning. He informed that the Centre is equipped to generate automated alerts for crowd congestion, route blockages, landslides or emergencies, thereby enabling swift decision-making and response.
Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor communicated with the Centre's engineers and operational staff. In order to maximize the Center's utility, he emphasized the need for ongoing staff training and seamless collaboration with security agencies and other stakeholders. In particular, as a result of the joint security review that was carried out last year in accordance with the directions of the Lieutenant Governor, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has recently provided the security agencies that are responsible for managing the yatra with cutting-edge security equipment, such as X-Ray baggage scanners, door frame metal detectors, hand-held metal detectors, and under-vehicle search mirrors and scanners, in order to strengthen the security measures in the Shrine area Dr. Ashok Bhan, Member, Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu, Nidhi Malik, Deputy Commissioner Reasi and other senior officers of Police, Security Agencies and Shrine Board were also present.