Kolkata: The EC will use an AI-based video analytics programme to monitor polling booths across Bengal. The system will analyse live footage from webcasting cameras and instantly flag signs of trouble, enabling authorities to identify troubled booths and dispatch security forces without delay.“Artificial intelligence will help identify troubled booths in real time, enabling sector teams to reach the spot within 15-20 minutes,” an EC official said. Once an alert is generated, micro observers will verify the feed and inform the observer, returning officer or sector officer, depending on the situation.Control rooms have been set up at multiple levels — including offices of returning officers, district election officers, the Chief Electoral Officer and the EC headquarters at Nirvachan Sadan. Each screen will display live footage from 12 booths of an assembly constituency at a time, with micro observers rotating feeds to cover all polling stations. Observers will also be able to access live footage on their mobile devices.To ensure data security, all webcams will be connected to cloud storage, while micro SD cards will store day-long footage locally as backup. Addressing concerns about possible camera tampering, the EC said sector teams, equipped with technicians and spare cameras, will respond immediately. “Any such incident will be acted upon promptly, and a repoll may be ordered,” the official added.
