The Hindu : Front Page : Vulnerability of coastline in focus

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Friday, Nov 28, 2008
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Vulnerability of coastline in focus

Vinay Kumar & Sandeep Dikshit

Ships being intercepted and checked along coast from Mumbai to Gujarat

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

Countering terror: Rapid Action Force personnel take position near the Nariman House at Colaba on Thursday to flush out terrorists holed up there.

NEW DELHI: Even as elite commando units from the Navy and the National Security Guard mounted operations to flush out terrorists from the Taj and Trident-Oberoi hotels on Thursday, security and intelligence agencies stressed on the vulnerability of India’s 7,516-km coastline along nine States and four Union Territories.

Though the “Coastal Security Scheme” was launched in March 2006 by the Union Home Ministry, the breach of coastline in Mumbai on Wednesday by terrorists showed they could enter through the gaps.

As Mumbai’s nightmarish terror attacks began and the security and intelligence agencies apprehended its gravity, arrangements were made to fly the first lot of commandos in an IL-76 military transport aircraft, owned by the Aviation Research Centre of the Research and Analysis Wing, at 3 a.m. With two large troop transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force arriving from Chandigarh at dawn, the remaining contingents of the NSG and the Army were flown to Mumbai on Thursday morning.

The IAF now has seven aircraft on standby at the Delhi airport, including four medium sized AN-32 troop transport aircraft. It has also placed three helicopters at the disposal of the authorities in Mumbai following a request by the State government. A mine detection unit has reached Mumbai from Pune. The armed forces now have 800 Army personnel and five ‘Prahar’ units of the Marine Commandos (Marcos) on assault deployment along with the NSG around three buildings where terrorists are still believed to be holed up.

Along the coast from Mumbai to Gujarat, ships were being intercepted and checked by the Navy and the Coast Guard. “So far all the ships we checked were clean,” naval sources said. Two Marcos were injured but both were stated to be out of danger.

Briefing journalists on Thursday, Special Secretary (Internal Security) M.L. Kumawat said terrorists landed in the Sasoon dock in Mumbai. Efforts were being made to “backtrack” and trace their route. Admitting that the name of “Deccan Mujahideen,” said to be behind the worst ever terror attack in the country, was being taken for the first time, he said the exact number of terrorists who sneaked into Mumbai was being ascertained.

Sources in the Home Ministry said the Coastal Security Scheme was being given top priority for setting up 73 coastal police stations, 97 check posts, 58 outposts and 30 barracks. About 50 of the 73 approved coastal police stations had already been made operational, the sources said.

Under the scheme, the coastal police stations were to be equipped with 204 boats, 149 jeeps, 312 motorcycles for increasing mobility of the police personnel on the coasts and in close coastal waters.

The scheme has been reviewed by the Home Ministry from time to time. As part of the scheme, 10 police stations in Gujarat and 12 in Maharashtra were to be set up. The Coast Guard has also been imparting training to different State police personnel in mounting maritime vigil.

Sources said that steps had been taken in the recent past to strengthen joint coastal patrolling off the coasts of Gujarat and Maharashtra as security concerns, voiced by the intelligence agencies, pointed to the gaps in the country’s long coast line.

PTI reports from Ahmedabad:

Vigil on Gujarat coast

The Coast Guard has intensified vigil in the Gujarat waters.

“We have received orders from our headquarters to increase the vigil in the sea following the terror strikes in Mumbai. Our men have intensified the patrolling along the Gujarat coastline and are keeping close watch on every movement,” Commander Coast Guard, Gujarat, Satish Chandran said.

The terrorists are believed to have used a ship named ‘M V Alpha’ to reach the city. Mr. Chandran said they were investigating the matter.

The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard in Maharashtra have launched a hunt for the vessel, pressing two aircraft, choppers into service.

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