Maintaining that oil rigs at Bombay High were high on the terror strike list, the new naval chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said his force had drawn extensive plans to deal with such a threat.
He also said the navy was concerned about intelligence inputs that terrorists might use the waterways to smuggle in arms and explosives and that the force was collaborating with Coast Guard and other agencies to keep a vigil on the country's western and eastern coastline.
"Bombay High is high on the list of terrorists and indeed it figures into all our combat and vigil plans," the admiral said soon after taking over as the new chief of Naval Staff.
Asked about plans to confront such an eventuality, he said, "We intend to catch an intruder in the first instance much further away from the rigs. And thereafter if he happens to come closer, then perhaps by some inner cordon."
Navy constantly patrols 125 oil wells in Bombay High and has kept in readiness quick reaction teams of Marine commandos and aircraft at Mumbai port for countering any terrorist attack on the nation's oil wealth.
