Intense patrolling filling coastal radar surveillance gaps: Coast Guard

PANAJI: Indian Coast Guard today said that intensified and dynamic patrolling is plugging the gaps left due to the absence of radars in some coastal areas, as defence agencies have learnt important lessons after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

"The first phase of installing coastal radars have been completed and we have installed 36 radars on the main land and 10 in the island. We have received approval for the phase two. The work on phase two will begin by next year end," Director General of Indian Coast Guard Vice-Admiral Anurag Gopalan Thapliyal told reporters at Vasco, 40 kms away from here.

He was here for the launch of Off-Shore Patrol vessel which is first in the series of six ships built by Goa Shipyard Limited.

Thapliyal said that for the second phase, the Coast Guard is identifying sites so that the gaps are filled.

"In phase one, areas of dense shipping and sensitive areas are covered. We have covered Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala coast in it. Right now, there are gaps existing after completion of first phase, but rest of the gaps would be identified and completed in second phase. We have introduced the intensified and dynamic patrolling in areas where the gaps exist," Thapliyal said.

The DG said that the entire coast spanning across 7,500 kilometre could not be fully covered in the first phase.

In the maiden phase, sensitive areas where there are important projects like power plants, fertilizer plants and parts which are prone to terror attacks have been covered.

There are some lessons we have learnt in phase one. Like there are some places in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh where there are prolonged power cuts, ranging up to ten hours. So we have to make provision of generators there, he said.

Thapliyal said any criminal activity that starts from sea has to eventually get onto the shore.

"Activities like smuggling, arms landing, illegal human trafficking and similar things have to end up on the shore somewhere or the other. If close coast surveillance is kept then you can control the crime of sea inside the ocean without allowing it to touch the shore," he added.

Responding to a question, the DG said that the Coast Guard is training the marine police force, which will become a strong force in some years.

"Phase one of marine police is completed but their acquisitions are going on. Once their acquisitions are completed their responsibility will also be increased. At some point of time marine police will grow... will have its own trained manpower. They have to be trained for sea," he said.