To protect the maritime boundary in Sundarbans, the Coast Guard would be ready with two interceptor boats and a radar station for surveillance in the islands.
The first such interceptor boat for operations in the Sundarbans was commissioned at Haldia today.
VSR Murthy, IG and commander, Coast Guard Region (North East), said another such vessel will join the fleet at Haldia in September this year.
"Over the last two years, we have been concentrating on building operational infrastructure for the 740 km long coastline (along West Bengal and Odisha) that is under our command. As soon as we succeed in building another jetty, the third interceptor boat will arrive at Haldia," he said.
The radar station at Sagar island in Sundarbans for coastal surveillance will also be operational by May this year. It is being built near the existing lighthouse.
"We also have seven acres at Frasersgunj. Since September, we have ensured that a hovercraft is stationed there at all times," Murthy said.
The ICGS C-148, 18th in a series of 36 interceptor boats is being built by L&T Shipbuilders Ltd for the Coast Guard.
DIG and Coast Guard commander, West Bengal, Sharad Mantri said the coastline along the state is the most porous in the country.
The interceptor boat is 26-metre long and can attain a top speed of 45 knots. Its main armament is a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. It is jet-propelled and can also traverse sideways if the need arises.
The radar station at Sagar, one of 46 coming up along India's coast, is being set up by Bharat Electronics Ltd on property belonging to the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships.
The unmanned radar will have high resolution cameras and night-vision devices to pick up movement of ships at a distance of up to 30 miles. The feed will be sent real time to the Coast Guard headquarters in Delhi and regional headquarters at Kolkata for necessary action.
Commodore (retd) Ashok Khaitan, General Manager, L&T Shipbuilders Ltd, Hazira, said that the interceptor boats on order would be delivered ahead of schedule.
