Bought at a cost of Rs 125 crore, the 38 interceptors cannot sail in the rough seas during the rainy season

BESIDES holding the promise of rain, the looming monsoon clouds could very well signal the onset of another wave of 26/11-like terror attacks that could crash on the city's shores.


Two of the police patrol boats, during their launch in 2009

For, nearly 38 high-speed interceptors, which were procured at a cost of Rs 125 crore and hold the key to apprehending terrorists who dare to venture within five nautical miles of the city, will be out of commission till September because of the rains.

The boats, say policemen, have been docked because it is too risky to operate them when the waves are high, like they are in the monsoon.

This leaves the area of five nautical miles from Mumbai's coast to be patrolled only by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, whose boats are bulky and largely incapable of patrolling the shallow waters found here.

The 38 interceptors, of the sanctioned strength of 58, are equipped with light machine guns and other assorted weaponry and were deployed to keep the western coast safe from sea-borne terror attacks after 26/11.
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The fleet has, however, been docked till Nariyal Poornima, when the sea gets relatively calm.

MiD DAY has learnt that even fishermen, who were hired with their old trawlers to assist the police, have docked their boats due to the rough seas.

Special Inspector General of Police (Konkan Region) Param Bir Singh told MiD DAY that operating the fleet of interceptors during the monsoon season would be extremely risky for the vessels' crews.
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During the monsoons, the waves swell up to 5.7 meters or 'Sea 4' in Naval parlance.

Singh said, however, that patrolling on land has been intensified to compensate for the absence of patrol boats on the sea. Coastal police stations and beats have been strengthened to ensure that there are no attacks.

Terror exercises
A senior Coast Guard officer explained that there is a general consensus among security forces that the enemy will not attack when the sea is rough.

"But, the adversary will always try to spring a surprise like they had done on 26/11," he said.

Sources said that the Pakistani navy and terror groups have also been carrying out routine exercises in rough seas over the past few years.

Police spokesperson Nisar Tamboli was not available for comment. He did not reply to a text message from this reporter.

Rs 1.3 cr
Cost of a 9-metre high-speed bulletproof interceptor