Varanasi, January 12, 2024: Varanasi, the holy city and the parliamentary seat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has become the first city in India to install a face recognition system (FRS) in its smart city control room.
The FRS, which was launched in 2019, the same year Modi won his second term from Varanasi, is capable of identifying and tracking missing persons and criminals across the city.
The FRS has helped reduce the crime rate of Varanasi significantly, and has even caught culprits who wore masks during the Covid pandemic.
The FRS is part of the Kashi Integrated Control and Command Center, which operates from the tri-netra building in Varanasi. The center also monitors the traffic, public safety, waste management, and health services of the city, using more than 4,000 cameras installed in strategic locations. The center played a vital role in delivering medicines and oxygen to the Covid patients during the crisis.
The FRS and the smart city project are among the initiatives that Modi has undertaken to transform the image of Varanasi, and to improve the living standards and economic prospects of its residents.
