Mumba: MSRDC, MEPID say adequate security measures taken at Bandra-Worli sea link

Adequate measures have been taken to prevent suicides or possible terror attacks at BandraWorliRajiv Gandhi sea link here Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation MSRDC and Mumbai Entry Point InfrastructureDevelopers MEPID informed the Bombay High Court todayBoth the organisations were responding to a PIL filed by activist Ketan Tirodkar which demanded security measures andsurveillance at the sea link due to a rash of suicidesThe PIL alleged that MEPID and MSRDC are not looking after the maintenance and security at the 48km long bridge which is vulnerable to terrorist attacksAn affidavit filed by MEPID which collects the toll said that it would be installing 80 CCTV cameras at this cablestayed bridge within a period of two months and the work order for this purpose has already been issuedCurrently only 10 cameras are installed at the bridge said the affidavit filed by Shaswat Singh Gadre authorised signatory of MEPIDMEPID has deputed 30 security guards who work in three shifts every day at the sea link Additionally 6 riders in three shifts two riders per shift are continuously monitoring the traffic movement on the bridge by patrolling round the clock the affidavit further saidHowever MEPID said it was beyond its purview and powers to increase the height of the railing on the sea link aspleaded in the PILSince the major portion of the bridge is in the middle of the sea it is impossible to provide any net or barbed wirefence which may eventually lead into eventuality of serious tragedy due to rain or wind as the barbed fencing can getuprooted and may come on the main carriage way it saidEven Xray machines are also beyond its purview and powers MPEID said and denied that it had failed to performits duties as alleged in the PILMPEID said it was spending around Rs 10 crore on the installation of cameras expenses for employing security guards maintenance of infrastructure motorcycles and cameras and annual maintenance chargesAccording to the petitioner so far five cases of suicide by jumping from the bridge have been reported in the recenttimes However there are only six CCTV cameras whereas the whole length requires 80 CCTV cameras the PIL saidThe PIL also wanted deployment of more bettertrained guards Currently only six to eight guards are posted on thebridge The barriers and railing are around 4 ft high which is not sufficient to prevent jumping off the bridge it addedThe toll collected on the Sea Link was Rs 7785 crore in 201213 and Rs 5343 crore up to January 2014 A small portion of it is required for enhancing the security the PIL saidThe PIL suggested that Xray machines be installed at both the entry points to detect explosivesMSRDC said in an affidavit that in 2009 the then police chief had suggested installing scanners at either end of thesea link to detect vehicles carrying explosives An expert committee was also set up and consultants were hiredThe experts had opined that drive through scanning was not permitted in India since it involved passengers to sit inthe vehicles during the scanning which exposed them to radiation emitted during the process This was also confirmed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board via email in July 2011In view of this it was decided to procure relocatable explosive vehicle scanner in which random scanning of a suspected vehicle can be carried out which required all the passengers to disembark from the vehicle MSRDC saidTenders were invited for scanners and MSRDC accepted the offer of Bharat Electronics to provide the same The supplyorder was also issued in November 2012 However since Bharat Electronics could not provide scanners in the extended timelimit the purchase order was cancelled on February 25 2014 and their bank guarantee forfeited MSRDC saidLater an opinion was considered that during the random checking of suspicious vehicles this type of arrangement maynot be foolproof and may add to traffic snarls hence MSRDC said it had not taken any further action in that respectMSRDC said it would not be possible for it to do under water surveillance and such exercise can only be done agencieslooking after the security of the sea coast and defence installations MSRDC said it is concerned with road and infrastructure and not equipped to handle policing matters