In A major security breach, metal detectors installed at the Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia Colony have stopped functioning after rats nibbled the wires damaging the circuit of the equipment.

According to sources, rats have damaged the circuits of the Door Frame Metal Detector (DFM) near SSNNL Dyke number-1.

Police personnel posted at the Sardar Sarovar Dam have said that at present, two of the DFMs installed at SSNNL, are not functioning. One of them is near SSNNL Dyke number-1 and the other is at SSNNL River Bed Power House (RBPH), where the DFM has stopped functioning for the last two months.

Police men said that the damage occurred after rats entered the metal frame. “The radio-mechanics employed by SSNNL found out that there were problems in the wiring system. Now, the entire wooden circuit had to be installed again. We are trying to coordinate with the Ankleshawar-based ‘Encode’ security agency over this,” said a police officer.

Police personnel deployed at Kevadia Colony have also affirmed that they are using 11 hand-held metal detectors to check on the visitors at the tourist site.

This is not the first time though, that rats have damaged the security apparatus at the Sardar Sarovar dam and its canal network. Earlier, following the canal breach at Mehsana, the dam authorities had admitted to a Right to Information (RTI) query that rodents were affecting the canal network at places, leading to breaches and issues of maintenance along with other factors.

Incidentally, SSNNL Chief Engineer K J Trivedi has said that there are no loopholes in the security. “The security is alert and all the DFM’s are functioning,” he has said.

Meanwhile, an SSNNL official said on condition of anonymity: “Though we have hand-held metal detectors, at times it becomes difficult to manage huge crowds at the dam.”

Citing the recent Diwali festival, police officers also said: “It became difficult for us to manage a huge chunk of visitors during the Diwali festival when all the guest houses at SSNNL were packed with visitors from the neighbouring districts. Besides, the door frame metal detectors are expensive and the only way to make it functional is to replace the entire circuit.”

Narmada Superintendent of Police Khurshid Ahmed said: “We have hand-held metal detectors on a temporary basis. While, permission has been given to install CCTVs, SSNNL is yet to make the purchases.”

The executive committee comprising the sub-divisional magistrate, Narmada superintendent of police and SSNNL chief engineer was formed around three months ago, and various plans about installing Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTV) were floated.