Automatic ID systems must for ships passing under Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

MTHL as seen from Parel on the night of Jan 15. Pic/Rane Ashish Location courtesy/Crescent Bay

To keep the 21.8-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) safe, the Mumbai police have asked the state fisheries department to ensure that every ship passing below the bridge has an automatic identification system (AIS). A committee formed in 2013 to review the engineering marvel's security measures recently apprised the cops of the vulnerability of the 16-km section of the bridge that passes over the Thane creek.

The committee and Mumbai police informed the fisheries department that it is mandatory for ships to have an AIS system. Those vessels that lack one will be fined by the authorities concerned. The committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the additional commissioner of police, defence and security, Brihanmumbai. It comprises the ACP, special branch, and deputy commissioner of police, special branch, from the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai police and the panel takes help from experts.

"An AI system using GPS will keep track of ships and their locations. It will also monitor vessels that pass below the bridge. A navigation channel or corridor with colourful columns has been made especially for ships to pass through. The corridor space has a highwater range which will help ships easily pass. Also, CCTV cameras have been installed on the columns to keep a track on the movement of ships. The footage will be monitored in a control room at Chirle near Nhava Sheva," said a police officer.

Four rescue points have been prepared on the stretch. The bridge comes under the jurisdiction of two police stations. A 10.4-km section is under the watch of the Sewri police while the remaining 11-km stretch comes under their Navi Mumbai counterpart's jurisdiction. "The bridge technically comes under the jurisdiction of the Sewri, RCF and Trombay police stations as well as various others in Navi Mumbai. If any incident were to take place in the middle of the bridge, the RCF and Trombay police would be in trouble as they would have to come all the way from either side of the bridge. Hence, to ensure there is a quick response, all responsibility for securing the bridge was given to the Sewri and Nhava Sheva police," said the officer.

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No of rescue points on MTHL