Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today stressed on the need to safeguard not only industrial, commercial and strategic installations, but also the entire coastline from external threats through sea routes.
He was speaking here at a meeting of Home Ministers, Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police (DGPs) of Coastal States and Union Territories, convened to review coastal security.
Singh reviewed all aspects of security along the country's 7,516 km long coastline.
Steps have been initiated post 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, wherein Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is designated as the authority responsible for coastal security in territorial waters, including areas to be patrolled by coastal police, he said.
Indian Navy is responsible for overall maritime security including coastal and offshore security. Indian coasts are guarded by a 3-tier system of State Marine Police, Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy.
Singh said the ICG conducts coastal security exercises involving all stakeholders in coastal states/UTs biannually to validate these Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for functioning of coastal police stations and also ICG promulgates these SOPs for coordination among various agencies on coastal security issues.
The coastline has been further secured by the creation of chain of static sensors and Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers along the Indian Coast and radars operated by the ICG at 45 locations while 38 more radars are planned to be installed for gapless surveillance of the coastline, Singh said.
MHA has issued guidelines to the coastal states/UTs in regard to security of non-major ports, the minister said.
For training of coastal police, in-principle approval has been accorded for setting up of National Marine Police Training Institute in Gujarat and State Marine Police Training Centres in the Police Training Academies of States and Union Territories, Singh said.
In order to track illegal movement, registration of fishing vessels has been made compulsory and for sensitising fishermen on safety issues, community interaction programmes are conducted by Indian Coast Guard, the Home Minister said.
After implementation of these important initiatives, our
coasts are far more secure now, Singh said.
To strengthen the monitoring and coordination mechanism for the entire gamut of coastal security, the government has set up an institutional mechanism at state and district levels. It has also strengthened the MHA level Steering Committee at the national level for review of coastal security, he added.
Singh highlighted the issues of maritime terrorism and its economic implications. He invited suggestions from the coastal states/UTs for the Phase-III of the Coastal Security Scheme to be implemented in next five years.
Under the Coastal Security Scheme, assistance is given to all coastal states and Union Territories to set up coastal police stations, check posts, outposts and construction of jetties for berthing of police boats. Presently, the Phase II of this scheme is in progress.
At the meeting, there was discussion on expeditious implementation of the Coastal Security Scheme, institutional set up in states/UTs to review coastal security, constitution of State Maritime Boards, security of non-major ports and single point mooring, coastal mapping, security of islands, distribution of Biometric Identity Cards and Card Readers, colour coding of boats, monitoring of fish landing points and crossing of International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) by fishermen, an official release said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said as marine policing was a specialised job, a Central Marine Police Force be created to protect sea, coast, ports and vital institutions.
He also suggested that all landing points and non major ports be brought under tech based e-surveillance. Both these suggestions were supported by some states and UTs.
Singh said the Centre will seriously consider to create a coastal police as a Central Armed Police Force based on the suggestions received from coastal states/UTs.
It was also decided that for tracking the movement of fishermen to the sea and back, an integrated computerised system/tech based e-surveillance will be implemented with states and UTs and the central government will help in that direction.
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju was among those present at the meeting.
