Need to safeguard coastline from external threats, says Rajnath

MUMBAI: Highlighting the economic implications of maritime terrorism, Union home minister Rajnath Singh stressed the need to safeguard India’s coastline from external

MUMBAI: Highlighting the economic implications of maritime terrorism, Union home minister Rajnath Singh stressed the need to safeguard India’s coastline from external threats through sea routes, besides protecting industrial, commercial establishments and strategic installations.

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He also announced 10 coastal police stations to investigate crimes beyond the territorial waterfront, up to 200 nautical miles.

Singh, who chaired a day-long meeting on coastal security at the state’s Sahyadri guest house on Thursday, said the coastline has been secured by the creation of a chain of static sensors and Automatic Identification System receivers along the coast. Home ministers and chief secretaries and the police chiefs of nine coastal states participated in the review meeting.

Singh said radars are being operated by the Indian Coast Guard at 45 locations and 38 more radars have been planned for gapless surveillance of the coastline. He also said his ministry has issued guidelines to the coastal states and the union territories to secure minor ports.

Singh also said the Centre was positively thinking about setting up a Central Marine Police Force for better surveillance and policing in territorial waters, covering the area up to 12 nautical miles from the sea shore. The force will be on the lines of the Border Security Force and the Central Industrial Security Force. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis mooted the idea of the force during a meeting represented by nine states and union territories on the Indian coastline. Fadnavis also suggested all the landing points and minor ports be brought under tech-based e-surveillance.

The Ministry of Home Affairs also announced 10 coastal police stations, along with one at the Yellow Gate station in Mumbai, to investigate criminal cases in the deep sea between 12 nautical miles and 200 nautical miles.

Singh also said an in-principle approval has been given to set up the National Marine Police Training Institute at Dwarka in Gujarat. In order to track illegal movement, registering fishing vessels has been made compulsory and community interaction programmes are being conducted by Indian Coast Guard to sensitise fishermen on safety issues, he said.

Union home secretary Rajiv Meherishi said, after implementing two phases of coastal security after the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai in 2008, the ministry was all set to launch its third phase. “We have definitely come a long way in the past eight years, but nothing should be containing as the security is the endless job. Based on the suggestions and recommendations by the coastal states and UTs, additional plans for coastal security will be chalked out in the coming days.”