Sunderbans: Radar project mulled to boost coastal surveillance

KOLKATA: The coastal security mechanism for the Sunderbans delta stands to receive a big boost as a proposal has been floated for a radar surveillance system for this area in West Bengal which shares a maritime boundary with Bangladesh.

A project report in this regard has already been submitted to the Union government and is, sources said, under serious consideration.

"We are planning to start radar surveillance project in the Sunderbans area, which will cover the entire coastal region of Bengal. It will be the first time that a state will have such a project on this big a scale. It is under serious consideration of the Centre," ADG (coastal security), Raj Kanojia, said.

According to a senior state home department official, a team of experts from the Centre has already visited West Bengal and agreed in principle to the project.

The project is designed to augment intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in the entire Sunderbans region, Kanojia said.

"There are around 104 islands in the Sunderbans region of which more than 80 per cent don't have any habitat, falling mostly within the core forest area. There is no scope for human intelligence as there is no habitat. So, the radar surveillance would be of great help," he added.

An official in the coastal security department said they prepared a full report after talking to specialised technical agencies regarding the installation of the system and how it would work in tandem with all the police stations in Sunderbans, including coastal police stations.

The report noted that the Radar Surveillance Project would cost Rs 150 crore.