Despite the ‘no flying zone’ over the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Tarapur as per orders from the department of atomic energy, a drone was found hovering around the TAPS nuclear power plant last month and has thrown security agencies into a tizzy, as till date, the origin of the drone has not been established.
The new Superintendent of Police (SP) at Palghar, Balasaheb Patil, has confirmed that on June 26, a drone was found flying near the TAPS just a few metres above the ground and the radars installed at the nuke power plant were unable to detect its presence. The Central Industrial Safety Force (CISF), which provides security to TAPS, BARC and other vital installations in the country are also conducting a parallel probe into the issue besides the Palghar police, said Patil.
Police sources presume that the drone may have been sent by a New Delhi firm appointed by the JNPT, for a survey related to a proposed Rs 65,000cr project at Wadhwan in Dahanu which is being opposed by the locals. In fact, on June 25, locals from Bordi and nearby areas in Dahanu, had halted the survey work for an approach road to the project. They had also destroyed GPS equipment and others, causing the employees of the New Delhi firm to flee, leaving behind their equipment. The Vangaon police have not filed an FIR in this case, “as the company did not inform us about the survey and hence, we did not provide any police security,” said Patil. The survey was for the proposed 180m width and 34km-long approach road from Vangaon to Wadhwan via Charoti in Dahanu.
“We presume the New Delhi firm may have used the drone to search for their equipment destroyed by the angry locals as the machinery is worth more than Rs 30 lakh and this time also, the survey firm did not inform us about the drone usage,” said Patil adding that till date the New Delhi firm had yet to inform them.
A few years ago, pipes loosened from oil rigs in Vasai and nearby, logs of timber and boat signage had been found on the shores near the TAPS, and were perceived as a threat to national security.
In the coming days, the origin of the drone found on June 26 will be clear as both Central and state agencies are probing the matter.
