Coast Guard to double fleet in 3 yrs

One of several measures in coordination with Navy to ensure there's no 26/11 repeat

The Navy and the Coast Guard are walking the extra mile (see box) to ensure India does not suffer another 26/11.

The terrorists involved in the attacks had allegedly sailed from Pakistan to India in the shadows of a major naval exercise by the Indian Navy called Defence of Gujarat.

Said Defence Spokesp-erson Captain Manoharan Nambiar, "The responsibilities of the Navy and the Coast Guard on matters pertaining to maritime security have become more specific.
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It has become easier for officers who are assigned duties to focus their energies on these clearly-defined responsibilities. The Navy is like an elder brother to the Coast Guard."



Five Coast Guard stations are to be set up in and around the Mumbai coast. Inspector General S P S Basra of the Coast Guard on Thursday announced the inauguration of a new station at Karawar in Karnataka.

Said Director General Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, "We are doubling our fleet in the next three years.

We are coordinating on a regular basis with local administration, port authorities, fishermen and customs officials, to ensure every loophole is plugged."

Security Measures since 26/11

Positive stepsu00a0

Commander-in-Chief of Indian Navy has been made responsible for coastal defence

Coast Guard commands have been asked to coordinate with the Navy in matters pertaining to coastal defenceu00a0

The western coast that stretches from the border with Pakistan to Kerala has been divided into two separate units to facilitate supervision and bolster security

Five Coast Guard stations have been proposed in and around Mumbai

New Coast Guard station was inaugurated in Karwar on November 3

Coast Guard to double its fleet by 2012

Special checks to be made by the International Maritime Organisation to ensure that the International Ships Port u00a0Security Code (ISPSC) is observed, and no cargo lands on any port in India without being checked

Unfinished tasks ahead

Hundreds of earth-carrying dumpers continue to ply in the Mumbai docks without Navy, police or Coast Guard supervision.

Customs officers admitted to this reporter that the authorities had no knowledge of the background of the owners or drivers of these dumpers

Security drills like Blue and Red to defend the coast of Karwar undertaken recently have revealed that India
coastal security is far from impregnable