The Maharashtra government accepted the Mumbai police commissioner’s application to revive Mumbai‘s horse-mounted patrolling unit on July 26. On the same day, a government resolution was announced. The plan was presented in the cabinet meeting held on July 5.
As per the plan, a budget of INR 36.53 crore has been set aside for this. From this, about INR 34 crore will be spent on constructing the new stable in Marol Naka, Andheri. This will be done in two phases. These horses will be kept permanently in that stable.
This time, 30 horses will be inducted, which will cost around INR 1.2 crore. The rest of the funds will be used for transportation, training, saddlery, sporting equipment, and ceremonial uniforms.
An additional INR 1.88 crore has also been set aside as recurrent expenses. This will cover groomers’ wages, horse feed, veterinary care, medication, vaccinations, blood tests, and other supplies.
This decision comes about four years after the first unit was launched. Back in 2018, a similar plan was authorised. The police aimed to use these horses to patrol crowded areas like beaches and promenades. They also planned to use them during protests.
For this, 13 horses were added to the police force over the next two years. Six of these horses were donated by a private company. The other seven were purchased from the Mahalakshmi racecourse.
Over time, six horses recruited from Mahalaxmi racecourse in 2018 died from disease as they had a different diet. To prevent a similar incident this time, the police have contacted horse farms in Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan to provide proper training to young, non-raced horses.
The remaining five of the 13 were sent to the Nashik police academy. Currently, only two horses are with the Mumbai police. They are kept in a temporary stable in a police camp in Marol, Andheri. These horses are sometimes used for beach patrols.
Sources suggest that the first plan had many discrepancies. Officials in August 2023 also visited the mounted units at Haryana, Punjab, Kolkata, Gujarat and Hyderabad’s National Police Academy, before finalising the plan.
To avoid them, officials visited colleagues in Hyderabad’s National Police Academy, Haryana, Punjab, Kolkata, and Gujarat in August 2023 before finalising the plan.
As per sources, horses allow officers to patrol protests and crowded areas more effectively. A mounted officer has a better field of view. This can help reduce crime rates at tourist spots and beaches. Riding a horse also allows for easier movement in congested areas compared to cars.
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