For the first time, Elephanta Caves situated on Gharapuri village, an island off the Mumbai coast, has been provided with round-the-clock security. Two police officers and 20 personnel have been deployed to protect the island. On November 30, officers of the Intelligence Bureau, the Navi Mumbai police, the Coast Guard, the Forest Department and the Maharashtra Maritime Board held a meeting with villagers to find ways to step up security on the island.
Police protection
Baliram Thakur, sarpanch of Gharapuri, said, “There are dense areas in the village that lie unguarded and we had been demanding security for some time. Our village with about 1,100 people had no electricity connection until February this year. Once we received power supply, our next target was to have police security.”
For 27 years, a generator installed by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation had been providing electricity to the island for three hours a day. Now, a four-line, 7.5-km undersea cable from Uran is supplying electricity to the island.
Mr. Thakur said, “We have a lot of tourists coming especially during holidays and we wanted security in place before the Christmas vacations. Now, all three jetties — Rajbunder, Shetbunder and Morabunder — will be guarded 24x7.”
Most tourists board and alight at Shetbunder jetty, which has ferry connectivity with the Gateway of India. Gateway Port Inspector Nitin Koli said, “This holiday season, about 10,000 tourists visit the caves daily. On other days, the number drops to 5,000.”
It was unanimously agreed at the meeting that the gram panchayat would maintain a register of tourists visiting the island. Authorities and the villagers will now decide on finalising a dress code for tourist guides, providing them identity cards, installing CCTVs and conducting a survey of the village. Mr. Thakur said, “We have funds to start construction of toilets for tourists. The Forest Department will provide a place.”
Vithal Damugade, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Port Division), said, “Earlier, the Archaeological Survey of India had deployed personnel to protect the caves. We have now extended our support to provide security in the village.”
An Intelligence Bureau officer from Navi Mumbai said, “We conducted a survey on the island and have submitted the report to the government. State authorities will take more steps to increase security on the island.”
