The Bengaluru city police claimed to have mitigated the issue of bursting firecrackers at nighttime during the Deepavali festival, with about 41% of complaints reported after the 10 p.m. deadline being contained through proactive AI-based detection methods.Kuldeep Kumar Jain, Joint commissioner of Police (Administration), said that the enforcement cameras installed at strategic locations across the city are designed to spot firecrackers and smoke in public places and instantly alert the command centre, which then dispatches jurisdictional Hoysala units. This system has drastically reduced air and noise pollution, he said.The technology was used for the first time in Bengaluru to effectively contain bursting fire crackers, especially during the nighttime .“The AI-Powered Firecracker Detection and Response Initiative successfully validated the Bengaluru Safe City Project’s capability to integrate advanced AI tools for real-time civic enforcement. Through collaboration between the Bengaluru City Police with IT companies, the project demonstrated measurable improvements in situational awareness, enforcement accuracy, and public safety. This initiative establishes a strong precedent for leveraging Safe City infrastructure to implement AI-based governance systems across India’s major urban centres,” said Mr. Jain.The initiative leveraged the city’s expansive Safe City surveillance network, which includes more than 7,500 cameras and the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) infrastructure. A Firecracker Detection Video AI app from Awiros Appstack, powered by the Awiros Video Intelligence OS, analysed live feeds from over 200 existing cameras located in high-density residential and commercial areas such as Srirampuram, K.R. Market, H.S.R. Layout, Haralur, and Marathahalli.The AI algorithms were programmed to detect firecracker flashes, smoke, and crowd hyperactivity in real time. Upon detection, the system automatically generated alert packets containing location details, timestamps, and visual evidence. These alerts were instantly transmitted to the ICCC and field units via WhatsApp, enabling control room operators to verify incidents and coordinate immediate police response.Published - November 15, 2025 09:15 pm IST