Install 100 CCTVs on sea link, say police

Securing a landmark: Worry as only three of six cameras at 'suicide destination' are working

Mumbai Police have advised Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to install 100 high-quality surveillance cameras to secure Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

Half of the six close circuit television (CCTV) cameras keeping an eye on the link are not functioning for the past seven months at least.

"Bandra-Worli Sea Link is an important landmark. We want the number of cameras watching the link to increase from six and the quality of surveillance to improve," said Madhukar Pandey, additional commissioner of police, who heads the protection and security department.

Mumbai Police recently surveyed the entire 4.7-km sea link to find the best way to secure it.

"The CCTV cameras should cover the sea link, approach roads, the area around the sea link, area under it and around the pillars. With this in mind, we have recommended about 100 cameras. We cannot set a deadline by which this should be done as we are only advising, but we have urged them (MSRDC) to install CCTVs expeditiously," Pandey said.

The sea link, opened to traffic in 2009, has become a suicide destination.

At least five people have attempted to jump off the structure so far, with CCTV cameras recording nothing of it. The three functioning CCTVs are positioned to record movement on Worli sea face, at the Bandra end of the sea link and at the smaller cable-stayed bridge.

The first of the defunct cameras is at the turn near Worli, the second at the main cable-stayed bridge and the third is in the middle of the sea link.

"We are looking to implement the recommendations. The cost will be worked out once we know technical specifications of the cameras to procure," said an MSRDC engineer.

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