With the state-of-the-art Bandra-Worli Sea Link on the target list of terrorists, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has again reminded the state government to grant funds to procure security gadgets for the safeguard of this engineering marvel.
The MSRDC recently wrote a letter to the state Home ministry and to Public Works Departments reminding them about its earlier communication in which it had referred to city police chief D Sivanandan's instructions to install mobile-gantry-based explosive scanners on the bridge.
The Rajeev Gandhi Sea Link built at a cost of around Rs1,600 crore, was inaugurated in June last week, between Bandra and Worli in central Mumbai.
"Keeping the police chief's suggestions in mind, we had written to the PWD and Home deparments seeking funds in this regard. We recently reminded the deparments again about the funds," Satish Gawai, vice-chairman and managing director of MSRDC, told PTI.
"Once the funds are sanctioned, we will procure the required security gadgets and install them at the bridge," he said.
The city police chief in July had asked the MSRDC to take appropriate steps to secure the cable-stayed bridge from the possibility of a "spectacular" terror attack.
Asked about the delay, additional chief secretary (home) Chandra Iyengar said, "We will pursue the matter and do the needful on a priority basis." Mumbai police commissioner Sivanandan, through two letters dated July 13 and 27, had asked the MSRDC to install mobile-gantry-based explosive scanners at either end of the sea link.
He had stated that the terrorists may use explosive laden cars for staging a "spectacular" attack (especially in the cable-stayed portion of the sealink).
The bridge has an average daily traffic of around 25,000 vehicles on weekdays.
The sea-link connects Bandra and the western suburbs of Mumbai with Worli and central Mumbai. It has reduced travel time between Bandra and Worli from 45 minutes to seven minutes.
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