Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the upgraded security command and control centre at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple here on Wednesday.
The centre will ‘fuse together’ all components of the temple’s security system, including its 30-member quick-reaction team of ‘Thunderbolts Kerala’ commandos, in the event of an emergency or security threat. The high-tech and fortified centre inside the temple precincts will hopefully help law-enforcers ‘deter, delay, detect, intercept, and react’ to threats to the temple’s security.
The heritage structure had shot to global fame after the discovery of ancient treasurers in its subterranean vaults in 2011. The police say the ‘likely threats’ to the temple are from ‘terrorists looking for international mileage, anti-social elements who intend to create communal trouble, Left-extremist-aligned atheist groups, international thieves, and pirates operating in the Indian Ocean.
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Electro-hydraulic bollards, short vertical posts, and road blockers designed to ‘absorb impact loads up to 1,000 kN and stop an eight-tonne vehicle travelling at 80 km per hour’ are in the process of being installed in front of the four main entrances of the temple.
At the press of a button, the bollards and blockers will deploy from their underground casings in seconds. Bullet-proof sentry posts fitted with light machine guns to return suppressing fire in the event of an armed attack will cover the approach roads in front of the temple’s main entrances.
A no-fly zone, backed by an aerial surveillance system, blast-proof perimeter walls topped by power fences, seismic sensors to protect the treasure vaults from tunnelling, surveillance cameras, baggage scanners, burglar alarms, and a visitor tracking system are the major components of the multi-level security system being installed at the temple.
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Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala will preside over the function.
Centre to ‘fuse together’ all components of temple security
High-tech, fortified centre to be inside temple precincts
Kerala CM Chandy
to open facility at Padmanabhaswamy temple tomorrow