A network of sensors for round-the-clock monitoring of parts of Singapore will be rolled out by the government this year, local press reported today.

A combination of digital sensors and surveillance cameras will be used to increase the amount of real-time data about districts of the city, as part of a system to be deployed across Singapore, The Straits Times reported.

Sensors will be placed in drains to monitor the risk of flooding, for example, and in homes to keep an eye on the safety of elderly Singaporeans.

The sensors will be linked by a telecommunications network infrastructure built solely for public-sector use, a departure from the government's current practice of leasing the infrastructure from private companies.

“We see new areas and opportunities for the government to do more to assist, grow and build up a common infrastructure to support the deployment of smart nation applications,” a spokesperson of the Infocomm Development Authority was quoted as saying.

- dpa