Five years after 26/11 attacks, coastal security remains vulnerable

www.magaloretoday.com

Mumbai, Nov 26, 2013: It has been five years since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the most daring terror attack ever to have taken place on the Indian soil. But even today the Indian coastline remains vulnerable to threats as recommendations to bolster security still remain on paper.

Five years ago on November 26, terror gripped Mumbai like never before. A rattled government ordered sophisticated fire power, modern combat vehicles and raised Force One commandos to ensure a swift response to future fidayeen attacks.

 

But importantly, the question is whether half a decade after 26/11, the country is really better prepared to avert another sea-borne fidayeen attack. Confidential government documents filled with unimplemented recommendations show how the country’s vast coastline is still vulnerable.

The fishing vessel ’Kuber’ was hijacked by terrorists to enter Mumbai, but even today over 2 lakh fishing boats ply un-regulated. A majority of them haven’t been registered and fishermen carry bogus identity cards.

The recommendation to provide biometric ID cards and fitting identification equipment on fishing trawlers is years away from completion.

The ambitious project for a coastal surveillance chain is only partially implemented. CNN-IBN has learnt that the Rs 600 crore project has failed to give desired results on the ground.

The sophisticated cameras fitted on lighthouses can’t capture images beyond 2 nautical miles while they were originally expected to pinpoint suspect fishing boats in deep sea. THe question is as to who is to be blamed for this mess.

Almost every decision on coastal security has to go through a dozen government ministries and security agencies. In this process, departmental turf wars often cloud the main objective.

"We are trying to fight terror with fragmented tools and patchwork of the state police rather than a cohesive central approach," said Pradhan Panel Member V Balachandran.

The marine police stations are literally at sea as half of the speed boats don’t function. With numerous recommendations stuck in red tape, a concrete coastal security architecture still eludes the country. 

 

Courtesy: IBN Live