The Hindu : Front Page : Vulnerability of coastline in focus

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 28, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

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:

The scheme is being implemented jointly by the Union Home Ministry, which will meet the non-recurring expenditure, and the Defence Ministry, which will meet the recurring expenditure.

Of the new posts for four Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Puducherry, the highest number of 186 posts will be in Andaman and Nicobar Islands aimed at preventing infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of arms from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Lakshadweep will have 140 such posts followed by 60 in Daman and Diu. For Puducherry 20 posts have been sanctioned, sources said.

The Union Territory will also have a coastal police station to check any illegal activity.

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures - 2

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures - 3

Ratan Tata’s press meet - Podcast

Related stories:

TERROR ATTACKS IN MUMBAI

Centre rushes NSG commandos
Related stories:

TERROR ATTACKS IN MUMBAI

Centre rushes NSG commandos

Earlier terror strikes in Mumbai