Centre for vulnerability mapping of coastal areas

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday directed all coastal states and union territories to carry out vulnerability mapping of the coastal zone and consider giving digitized identity cards to sea-faring personnel and fishermen in the wake terrorists taking the sea route to attack Mumbai.

A high-level meeting, chaired by Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, also decided that boats should be registered and there should be optimal use of technology for providing Transponders and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) on the vessels.

The nearly two-hour meeting also felt the need to enhance the capacity of security and surveillance agencies to undertake real-time exchange of data relating to fishermen and boats engaged in coastal patrolling.

With over 7,500 km coast line dotted with 180 minor and 12 major ports, the concerned states were aksed to review their laws and regulations for coastal security.

The Home Secretary asked the states and UTs to prioritise and focus on expeditious implementation of the coastal security scheme launched in 2005-06, an official release said.

Gupta told them to ensure that all the 73 coastal security police stations, 97 check posts and 58 outposts were operational within the shortest possible time.

He also asked them to be ready with adequate and trained manpower so that they can be optimally utilised once the delivery of 204 Interceptor Boats start from March 2009 or even earlier.