Warning about the possibility of a “spectacular” terrorist strike on the Bandra-Worli sea link, the city police chief has sought nearly Rs50 crore to secure the Rs1,634-crore bridge against any such attack.
Police commissioner D Sivanandhan wrote two letters (dated June 13 and 27) to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), seeking funds to provide security for the bridge.
Both letters list equipment needed to secure the bridge, but the second one also warns about the possibility of a terrorist strike on the 4.7-km-long bridge.
“Since the terrorists may/can use an explosive-laden car for staging a spectacular attack (especially in the cable-stay portion of the sea link), it is necessary to install mobile/gantry-based (human-safe) explosives scanners at either end of the sea link,” the letter reads.
DNA has copies of the letters, addressed to Satish Gawai, vice-chairman and managing director, MSRDC.
It may be recalled that barely three months before the 26/11 strikes, deputy commissioner of police Vishwas Nangre-Patil had written a letter to the management of the Taj Mahal hotel, asking it to enhance security.
Sivanandhan has sought funds from the MSRDC to buy high-tech equipment and create security infrastructure on the sea link.
In the first letter, the commissioner has demanded equipment worth Rs3.7 crore. He has sought surveillance systems worth Rs45 crore in the second.
“Since the sea link is a commercial proposition and a tolling agency has been appointed for revenue collection, the cost of securing the security infrastructure should also be accounted for as a regular outgoing expense,” says one of the letters.
Sivanandhan has asked MSRDC to talk to the state home department in this regard. “The first set of demands has been forwarded to the public works department; while we are looking at the second list,” a source in the MSRDC said.
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