Terror check: Security tightened along coastlines, scanners to identify radioactive material

NEW DELHI: The government is sprucing up security along India's vast maritime borders, with strict enforcement of the ban on satellite phones entering the country through its ports, closer monitoring of coastal traffic and installation of scanners to identify radio-active material.

The government is currently working on implementing a new vehicle traffic management system (VTMS) in 37 minor ports for better surveillance of marine and coastal traffic.

"The Navy has short-listed 37 minor ports for incorporating under the VTMS," said a shipping ministry official. "We will also install scanners to identify radioactive material," the official added.

These scanners will help prevent the proliferation of radioactive material through Indian coastal channels, which is critical for India's drive to emerge as a serious nuclear power player.

The shipping ministry also wants to ensure complete implementation of the home ministry ban - imposed in 2010 - on entry of Thuraya or other satellite phones through ports .

"The Directorate General of Shipping had issued an order on May 2012 intimating all shipping companies and agencies that use of such phones are banned in India. But since we have still come across some cases of such phones entering the country, we have asked for stricter implementation," the official said.

Under present norms, persons entering India through ports must declare the possession of satellite phones. Thuraya phones were believed to have been used by the 26/11 terror cell as well as by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

Efforts are also underway to implement the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code - which is a prescribed set of guidelines to detect security threats - across all major ports. Currently, all ports except Ennore and Vizag have it. Shipping ministry officials said Ennore is in the process of becoming ISPS-compliant while Vizag has an alternate system in place.

The Mumbai terror attacks had brought out glaring loopholes in the security systems across the country's coastal lines. While this had propelled the government to strengthen the security infrastructure across ports, further efforts are now on to plug the breaches that still exist in the system.