Key points
- Mumbai is observing the 17th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks that killed 166 people and injured over 300.
- Mumbai Police have banned drones, paragliders, hot air balloons and remote controlled microlight aircraft for about a month, citing security threats around the 26/11 anniversary and major political events.
- The ban order has been issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the new law that has replaced the old Section 144 of the CrPC for such prohibitory orders.
- The move comes amid a nationwide alert after a high intensity car blast near Delhi Red Fort Metro Station Gate 1 on November 10, which killed at least eight people and injured more than 20.
- Security has been stepped up at key Mumbai locations like the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Gateway of India, CSMT, Nariman House, major religious sites, oil refineries in Chembur and the BARC complex.
- Despite this, passengers and police sources say security at Mumbai suburban railway stations and local trains remains weak, with metal detectors and baggage scanners at many stations lying defunct or unused.
- Maritime security off the Mumbai coast has been tightened, with the Navy and Coast Guard increasing patrols and strict tracking and biometric verification for fishing boats, because the 26/11 attackers had entered the city by sea.
To prevent any aerial threat during this sensitive period, Mumbai Police have prohibited the flying of drones, paragliders, hot air balloons and remote-controlled microlight aircraft in the city police commissionerate area for about 30 days, up to November 29. Officials say such devices could be misused by terrorists or anti-social elements to target VVIP events, crowds or critical infrastructure, so all private aerial activity is banned without explicit police permission.
The prohibitory order has been issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which empowers authorities to impose temporary restrictions in urgent situations of potential danger, a provision that now plays the role earlier performed by Section 144 of the CrPC. Violations can attract action under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for disobeying a public servant’s order, meaning anyone caught flying banned devices during this period can face criminal charges.
High alert at landmark locations
Police have intensified patrolling, nakabandi, frisking and random checks at Mumbai’s most sensitive spots, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Gateway of India, which were central targets during the 26/11 attacks. Security has also been beefed up at CSMT railway station, Nariman House, Siddhivinayak Temple, Haji Ali and Mahim dargahs, HPCL and BPCL refineries in Chembur, and at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre complex.
According to police, all units have been asked to stay on round-the-clock alert, with detailed checking of vehicles and drivers at blockades and closer monitoring of suspicious movements around hotels, religious places and industrial installations. The alert level has been raised further in the context of the recent Red Fort car blast in Delhi, which investigators are probing under anti-terror laws.
Questions over suburban railway security
CSMT, one of the main targets during 26/11, remains the busiest hub of Mumbai suburban trains, handling around five lakh passengers daily, with more than 1,800 local services and over 200 long-distance trains originating or passing through. Passengers and some police personnel, however, complain that many of the security systems put in after 26/11 have deteriorated into mere formalities.
Metal detectors, baggage scanners and surveillance equipment installed at several suburban stations and entry points are reported to be out of order, missing or standing unused, effectively turning into scrap instead of active security tools. This gap has raised serious concerns because crowded local trains and platforms remain high-value soft targets in any terror threat scenario.
Maritime vigil and 26/11 background
Given that the 26/11 attackers infiltrated Mumbai by hijacking an Indian fishing trawler and landing by sea, maritime security has been placed under close watch this year. The Navy and Coast Guard have stepped up patrols across the Arabian Sea off the Maharashtra coast, while all fishing vessels are subject to 24×7 tracking, compulsory biometric identity cards and online registration checks before sailing.
Extra police deployment has been posted at the Gateway of India and other coastal points, with agencies watching closely for any suspicious boat movement or GPS disruptions, which have been reported in the wider region in recent months. Authorities say these multi layer measures on land, sea and air aim to ensure that a tragedy like 26/11, in which 10 Lashkar e Taiba terrorists killed 166 people and wounded more than 300 across multiple locations, is never repeated.
