Chandigarh, Aug. 19 -- A surge in thefts targeting critical surveillance infrastructure has begun to erode Chandigarh's much-touted smart city grid, with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) warning the municipal corporation (MC) that at least 25 batteries powering closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera systems have been stolen in the past month alone.

Alarmed with the recent thefts, BEL wrote to the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Sector 17, flagging how these incidents are leaving key traffic junctions and surveillance points without power backup.

The ICCC forms the backbone of Chandigarh's smart governance system, integrating feeds from hundreds of cameras to monitor traffic flow, enforce violations, and support policing...