CISF to take over security at BBMB projects from October 1

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will replace the police forces of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh at various Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects following a review of threat perception and security protocols.

“From October 1, the security of the Beas-Sutlej Link will be taken over by the CISF from the Himachal Pradesh Police,” a senior BBMB official said. “The switchover is being done in phases. Next in the line is the Bhakra Dam, followed by the Pong Dam,” he added.

Sources said the move to replace the state police was undertaken after talks with central agencies, where it was felt that a single specialised agency would be better to guard these vital installations.

The BBMB projects are located in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and these are guarded by the respective police from these states depending on the location. The combined installed capacity of its power houses at Bhakra, Pong, Kol, Dehar, Kotla and Ganguwal is over 4,000 megawatts (MW). In addition, it has a transmission network of 3,753 circuit km and 24 sub-stations.

The sources said 235 CISF personnel would be deployed at the BSL, a 38-km stretch comprising two tunnels and an open channel to connect the Beas with the Sutlej from the Pandoh Dam to Slapper in Himachal Pradesh. With an output of 990 MW, the Dehar power house on the Sutlej near Slapper has the second highest capacity amongst all BBMB projects.

The BBMB projects, especially the Bhakra Dam, have for long been on the terror radar with intelligence agencies flagging threats from time to time. According to experts, while the structure of the dams might be immune to an attack by terrorists, any act of sabotage of peripheral infrastructure, power houses, transmission systems or targeting of personnel could have a rippling effect.

In addition, the BBMB also faces the ire of local population settled along the Sutlej and Beas downstream of the dams when release of excess water in case of heavy inflow causes floods.

Over 600 personnel are required to provide security across all BBMB projects, which at times increases in case of enhanced threat perception. Over the past few years, the BBMB has been enhancing security measures at dams, which include installation of closed circuit cameras, crash barriers to stop vehicles and ban on entry of visitors.

The move to deploy the CISF was initiated in the past also, but it did not see the light of the day. With a strength of 1.88 lakh personnel forming 132 battalions, the CISF is mandated to guard vital industrial and infrastructural installations, including airports, public sector undertakings as well as private industry, for which it is reimbursed as per the prescribed rate.

Located in Punjab, Himachal

The BBMB projects are located in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and these are guarded by the respective police from these states depending on the location. The combined installed capacity of its power houses at Bhakra, Pong, Kol, Dehar, Kotla and Ganguwal is over 4,000 MW