Visakhapatnam: To ensure that communication links remain uninterrupted during disasters, the Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Limited (GVSCCL) has invited tenders for laying of underground MPLS link — a data-carrying technique for high-performance telecommunications networks. The interested parties would have to start providing the service in the next three months. In the event of a disaster, the most important requirement is to keep communication lines intact so that all the stakeholders can coordinate and help could reach out to the affected people.
This apart, developing a Smart City, especially in coastal areas like Vizag, with an investment of crores of rupees becomes meaningless if the disaster management cell or the Command and Control Centre (CCC) is not set up properly. The proposed network will connect components of the CCC, which is being set up for effective surveillance, monitoring and coordination especially during disasters. The Centre will improve the response time, coordination among agencies and work for faster restoration of services post-disaster.
The link will connect smart urban infrastructures such as smart poles, CCTV cameras, public address systems (PAS), emergency call boxes (ECB), data centres, variable message boards, bus stops, intelligent transport and secondary Command & Communications Centre and also integrate utility systems. According to GVSCCL, 500 CCTV cameras at 80 locations, 50 smart poles, ECB, PAS, signals and other communication centres will be connected to the network. The last date for bid submission is November 25.
The city has lived through the experience of communication systems going down when Cyclone Hudhud struck and the rescue work got delayed. The Command and Control Centre which serves as a disaster management Centre is capable of communicating with other city systems such as early warning systems, emergency response forces, utilities (energy, water and sewage SCADA systems), transportation, city surveillance, citizen engagement platform.
