City cop crosses Palk Strait in 12 hrs 31 mins, creates record

With a record time of 12 hours 31 minutes, deputy superintendent of police, Mumbai, Balasaheb Ghadge, along with additional director general of police, Andhra Pradesh, Rajiv Trivedi, became the first policemen from India to have crossed the Palk Strait successfully.

With a record time of 12 hours 31 minutes, deputy superintendent of police, Mumbai, Balasaheb Ghadge, along with additional director general of police, Andhra Pradesh, Rajiv Trivedi, became the first policemen from India to have crossed the Palk Strait successfully.

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The duo started the 30-km swim from Talaimannar coast at Sri Lanka on March 25 at 4am and reached Dhanushkodi, at the southern tip of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, at 4.30pm.

Ghadge, attached to the Police Training Centre (PTC), Marol, said: “I owe my success to all my colleagues and seniors.”

During the inception of the swim, three private boats and Sri Lankan Navy personnel accompanied the duo, while the Indian Navy and coastguard took the responsibility in the Indian waters. As the strait is infested with sharks and snakes, they were provided with anti-shark devices that could create a 20-m circumference of ultrasonic waves for them.

Ghadge, who has crossed the English Channel and completed the 26 nautical miles Nikiti World Open Marathon, Greece, twice, dedicated the success to his brother Vinod, who passed away during a swim in memory of 26/11 martyrs on December 30, 2009.

About his future plans, Ghadge said, “There is no sea left where we (he and Trivedi) have not swam. Now, we will try scaling peaks like Everest.”