Dead Cameras, Dark Roads: Dibrugarh's Safety Gap

DIBRUGARH — A town recognised for its steady growth and improving connectivity is grappling with a quieter, more persistent problem: surveillance cameras that don't work and streets that go dark after sundown.

Across several key traffic junctions in Dibrugarh, CCTV cameras are either malfunctioning or have stopped working entirely. For residents and investigators alike, the consequences are real.

A Death With No Footage

The gap in surveillance came into sharp focus during the recent Bohag Bihu period, when a man was killed after being struck by a speeding vehicle.

With no usable CCTV footage available, investigators were left without a clear trail — no vehicle identification, no driver, no direction of flight. The case is still unresolved.

It is the kind of outcome that residents say has become all too familiar.

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Cameras Installed, Maintenance Forgotten

Local residents have flagged that cameras at several critical points — including busy town areas, flyovers, and roads connecting towards Lahowal — are not being regularly serviced.

Officials have acknowledged the problem, confirming that the lack of upkeep has rendered many units damaged or non-functional.

Without working surveillance, police investigating accident cases are often unable to answer even basic questions: What was the vehicle? How fast was it moving? Which way did it go?

That uncertainty delays justice — and leaves families of victims without answers.

Streets That Go Dark

Compounding the issue is the state of street lighting across many parts of the city.

In several areas, lights are either broken or entirely absent. Poor visibility at night raises the risk of road accidents and also creates cover for theft and other criminal activity in spots that would otherwise be monitored.

Residents say the two problems together — dead cameras and dark streets — are making Dibrugarh's roads noticeably less safe after dark.

A Fixable Problem, Locals Say

The issue is not unique to Dibrugarh. Similar breakdowns in urban surveillance have been reported across other Indian cities, with knock-on effects on both traffic management and crime detection.

But locals are clear that this is not a structural failure without a solution. Regular maintenance schedules, periodic audits of camera functionality, and a reliable street lighting system are, they argue, practical and achievable fixes.

Enforcement drives by authorities are ongoing, but residents feel that prevention — through functional infrastructure — needs equal attention.