Odisha needs more boats for coastal patrolling: Padhi

With a 480 knm long coastline, the Odisha government today asked the Centre to provide adequate number of boats to maintain coastal security.
Odisha Chief Secretary A P Padhi requested the Director of Union Ministry of Home Affairs present at the first meeting of the newly formed State Level Committee (SLC) for coastal security, to supply adequate number of boats customising them for Odisha coast.
Issues related to strengthening of coastal security, distribution of identity cards to sea going fishermen, fixing of distress alert transmitters in boats were also discussed in the meeting.
Padhi directed respective departments to intensify training activities of the marine police and build awareness for the fishermen community on security measures they need to follow.

"As of now 18 marine police stations are functioning in the state and we have got 13 boats. The boats supplied do not fit to Odisha's coastline and creeks. They also need large jetties. The boats need to be customised so that requirement for jetties can be reduced and they can also ply in the creeks," state Home Secretary Asit Tripathy told reporters.
"We are issuing identity cards to fishermen going to the sea. There are around three lakh fishermen and so far 2,60,000 cards have been issued. Fishermen must carry the cards while going for fishing," he said.

This apart, the state government has taken steps for installation of Distress Alert Transmitters (DAT) in sea going boats, Tripathy said.

"We need around 8,000 DAT machines for the boats. The state department of Fisheries and Animal Resource Development has already supplied around 2,000 DAT machines. These machines are very helpful to spot fishermen in distress," he said.
State DGP K B Singh, Secretary, Fisheries and Animal Resource Development B P Sethi, Special Secretary, Home Lalit Kumar Das along with senior officials from the MHA, Navy, Coast Guard, Customs and Intelligence Bureau were present at the meeting.