Mumbai police struggle with limited fleet as coastal security funds remain unpaid

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The coastal security of Mumbai and Maharashtra is facing severe challenges, as most patrolling boats remain non-operational. Maintenance work has come to a halt since March this year because the two operators responsible for servicing the boats have refused to continue due to non-payment for over 2.5 years. Sources indicate that around Rs 10 crore in payments are pending.

As a result, the city police are struggling to manage a limited number of functional boats. Although the payments have been approved by the relevant departments in Mumbai, the process is reportedly stuck at the IG Motor Transport office in Pune, with files being repeatedly sent back to the IG Coastal for further clarification. Due to the lack of maintenance, all the speed boats are currently wrapped in tarpaulin and lying unused at Mazgaon's Lakdi Bunder, east of the city's coastline.

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Mid-day photographers visited Lakdi Bunder and found that multiple boats are lying there and are covered with tarpaulin which is now covered with dust. Sources privy to the information have said that the operators have been sending multiple reminders of the delay in payment for the past two years but the officials are looking at it despite the Mumbai Police has approval for the same and the files are getting stuck at Inspector General (IG) Motor Transport of the Maharashtra Police who is responsible for making the payment to the operators.

The Maharashtra coastline spans 720 kilometres, with 114 kilometres falling under the jurisdiction of the Mumbai Police. Coastal patrolling in this area is managed by the DCP Motor Transport (2) of the city police. Sources informed Mid-day that the Mumbai Police initially acquired 46 boats - comprising 19 amphibious boats, four sea legs capable of operating both underwater and near the shore, and 23-speed boats - three years after the 26/11 terror attacks. These attacks, which claimed over 160 lives and injured more than 300 people, highlighted the need for enhanced coastal security, as the 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists had used the sea route to enter Mumbai through Budhwar Park on November 26, 2008.

Sources revealed that over time, the 19 amphibious boats and 4 sea legs became defunct due to lack of maintenance a few years ago. While the 23-speed boats remained operational, the operators eventually refused to continue maintenance due to non-payment for the last 2.5 years. As a result, only 9 boats are currently operational, while 14 lie unused at Lakdi Bunder. The police are struggling to patrol the 114 kilometers of Mumbai's coastline with just 9 boats, as per sources only one-third of the fleet's capacity can be deployed at a time. Additionally, one boat is always stationed at the Governor's house for security purposes. Sources within the Motor Transport Department have stated that approval has been granted for the modernization of 13 non-functional boats. Furthermore, in March of this year, the state government approved the addition of 20 new speed boats to bolster coastal security, which are expected to join the fleet in the coming months. Apart from this, approval is also granted to procure 08 fishing trawlers and an e-tender will be issued by the end of this month.

Currently, the city has 118 landing points, monitored by the Yellow Gate Police Station. Recently, the Mumbai Police installed CCTV cameras at some of these critical landing points. Despite these measures, coastal security remains a significant concern for the police in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks. When Mid-Day reached out to the DCP MT (2) Nimba Patil, he said that. "The patrolling has never been at a standstill currently 09 boats are operational and we are covering all areas under our jurisdiction, from BARC to Gorai Beach. Our officers are patrolling round the clock," the official stated. "Approval has been granted for the modernization of 13 non-functional boats," he added.

Officials have stated that the Maharashtra coastal area had around 55 patrolling boats post-26/11 terror attacks, including 23 under the Mumbai Police. Maintenance of these boats was managed by two operators, who have halted services until pending payments are cleared. As a result, boats used to patrol the coastal areas from Sindhudurg to Palghar have also been affected, with most of them now non-functional. The post of Special IG Coastal has been vacant for several days, and the additional charge is currently held by IPS Ankush Shinde, who did not respond to multiple calls and messages from this reporter seeking an update on the status of boats meant for Maharashtra's coastal patrolling.