Many unaware about CCTV installation rules

 Kathmandu, July 13: From  public places to offices to private houses, CCTV cameras have become ubiquitous across the country. However, people are mostly unaware about the rules to be followed while installing CCTV cameras, and authorities are reluctant to enforce them. 

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, CCTV/Camera Installation and Operation Procedures 2072 should be followed while installing CCTV cameras in public, commercial or private places.

"The rules came into effect in 2015 with a provision to seek permission from the respective District Administrative Office (DAO) before installing CCTV cameras. It was later amended in 2019 and the permission provision was removed," said Suprabha Khanal Dhungel, information officer at Kathmandu DAO.

After the amendment, respective individual, organisation or business should inform the nearby police station or respective DAO about CCTV installation within 15 days. 

The procedures have a format that need to be filled and submitted to the designated offices within the time period. The format includes date and place of installation alongside details of the cameras – manufacturer, megapixel and data storage capacity, among others.

However, only a small portion of CCTV installers are found to be informing the concerned authorities. 

"Some arrive at the office to inform about the CCTV installation. We also collect the details through police offices. By the end of fiscal year 2020/21, there were only 50 businesses, private residents and government offices which have informed about the cameras. In the current fiscal year 2021/22, we have received 10 new information," said Dhungel, who is also an assistant chief district officer at Kathmandu DAO.

Madhav Prasad Sharma, information officer at Bhaktapur DAO, said that they have received information about only 220 pieces of CCTV cameras till date.

"The information we have received shows that people and businesses are not aware about the rules. We have also been unable to conduct proper inspection in this sector due to COVID-19 until now. We will intensify our effort to inform the inform the people from the upcoming fiscal year," said Sharma.

Dhungel also said that they will be inspecting installed CCTV cameras from the upcoming fiscal year.

According to authorities, keeping a sign informing about the installed CCTVs is the only provision followed by the installers. 

Alongside the installation information, the rules state that the DAO or police should be informed prior to changing, repairing or removing the CCTV cameras as well.

The rules also require having a storage capacity to store footages for at least three months.

"We have a capacity to store recorded videos for more than three months. Some important footages are also stored for future use. We have more than 3,000 CCTV cameras under our surveillance system across the Valley," said Superintendent of Police (SP) Santosh Singh Rathour.

SP Rathour, who is also the spokesperson for Kathmandu Valley Police Office, stressed that CCTV cameras have played an important role in investigating several crimes and arresting perpetrators. "CCTVs from households and businesses have helped us as well. However, people should be aware about the legal provisions to install the cameras as it can be misused," SP Rathour added.

Meanwhile, the public and businesses informed that they were unaware about the rules.

"I have installed CCTV camera in my house for security. I was unaware about the rules," said a woman in her 30s who has CCTV cameras installed in her house at Naya Thimi, Bhaktapur.

She also informed that her cameras had no storage capacity up to three months.

Officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs also informed that all concerned stakeholders should abide by the rules. Anyone found flouting the rules is liable to punishment under Electronic Transaction Act, 2063.