Pathanamthitta (Kerala): Work has commenced on installing artificial intelligence (AI) cameras for traffic management and surveillance across the Nilakkal parking grounds. Restructuring efforts are currently underway to replace the existing 26 parking grounds with 12 streamlined parking zones. Once this work is finished, the camera setup will be installed.

The police are implementing the camera system at a cost of ₹3 crore, led by Pathanamthitta District Police chief R Anand. While Nilakkal can currently accommodate approximately 9,205 vehicles, the new arrangement is expected to increase capacity to over 11,000 vehicles.

 

48 cameras to be installed

A total of 48 AI-based cameras will be installed across parking grounds and key locations in Nilakkal. Among these, 25 cameras will be dedicated exclusively to parking management without surveillance functions. For monitoring and security, 23 cameras will be deployed across the parking grounds and other strategic points. Furthermore, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems at the entry points will automatically log vehicle registration numbers.

 

How the system works

The parking management cameras can independently detect the number of parked vehicles and pinpoint available spaces in real time. This information will be relayed to the central system at the main entry point. As a vehicle approaches and its FASTag is scanned, the ANPR system records its license plate number, while the AI camera automatically identifies the vehicle size and category.

The system will immediately generate a slip directing the driver to their assigned parking ground based on space availability. Drivers can then proceed directly to the ground number indicated on their slip.

Efforts are also underway to divide the grounds into marked rows and specify exact slot numbers on the slips. The system will precisely log details such as total parking duration. The 12 parking zones can be monitored and managed centrally from the command centre at the Nilakkal Police Control Room. Loudspeakers will also be installed across all grounds to broadcast announcements and directions.

 

Virtual queue booking opens today

Virtual queue bookings for the Sabarimala Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season begin on Thursday at 10 am. The booking service is completely free of charge and slots must be reserved via the official website www.sabarimalaonline.org.

Under the system, up to 60,000 devotees per day can book virtual queue passes via the Nilakkal–Pamba route. In addition, 3,000 online passes will be available daily for the Erumely forest route, and another 3,000 per day for the Vandiperiyar–Sathram route.

Real-time spot booking counters will also function at Nilakkal, Erumely and Vandiperiyar. Through these spot booking centres, 10,000 pilgrims per day will be admitted via Nilakkal, alongside 2,000 daily admissions each at Erumely and Vandiperiyar–Sathram. Room bookings will open in a week's time.

Although virtual queue booking is free, pilgrims have the option to make voluntary donations, starting from ₹5, towards the Pilgrim Relief Fund or the General Fund for sanitation maintenance. These contributions are purely optional.