Protective grills have been installed at outfalls along the vital installations in Mumbai to prevent terrorist attacks through the sea.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had undertaken the project after discussions with multiple agencies and stakeholders including the police and intelligence set-up.
“Protective steel grills at outfalls have been provided at 56 locations in Mumbai city and Mumbai suburban districts for protection of vital installations and to prevent terrorists’ attack through sea,” Municipal Commissioner Dr Iqbal Singh Chahal stated in the BMC’s budget for 2022-23.
It may be recalled that during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, the ‘fidayeens’ from Pakistan used the sea route to enter the financial nerve centre of the country and launch strikes.
Meanwhile, the Disaster Management Department of the BMC is also being revamped.
Mumbai is one of the most multi-hazard prone areas due to geo-climatic conditions and its proximity to the Arabian Sea.
“The essence of effective disaster management lies in the quality of response in minimum time. BMC has its dedicated security department and security staff is by default the first responder in case of any impending disaster,” it said.
The revamping of the disaster management department is proposed for effective disaster management in a decentralised manner for quick and effective response to any emergency situations. Considering the population, geographic conditions, and other risk factors, to tackle any disastrous situation effectively at the ward level, it is proposed to establish a sub-section of disaster management.
Considering the need of predicting the potential risks and to minimise the impact of impending disaster, the BMC has proposed to collaborate with United Nations Development Project (UNDP) to carry out Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessment (MHVRA) of Mumbai city and suburb under the review of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The MHVRA will help in developing a decision support system by using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
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