FRONT PAGE | Tuesday, October 27, 2009 | Email | Print | 
A yr later, Govt yet to tone up coastal security
Rahul Datta | New Delhi
Almost a year after terrorists carried out the audacious attack in Mumbai on November 26, the Government is yet to hasten the pace of acquisition of weapons and surveillance and reconnaissance equipment needed to bolster maritime security.
In fact, critical systems — including coastal radars, fast patrol boats, helicopters, maritime surveillance aircraft and specialised weapons for security forces — are still to be inducted despite the Government putting the buying process on fast track.
A week after the 26/11 attacks, the Government announced a slew of measures to tone up security along the 7,000-km-long coastline and asked the security forces to lease equipment from foreign vendors if it was not available off the shelf.
However, the tedious procurement procedures and reluctance by the civilian and military bureaucracy to take decisions was hampering the purchase, sources said here on Monday.
Citing examples, they said the security forces — including the Navy, Coast Guards and State police — needed at least 200 fast patrol boats. While the demand was put up soon after the terror attacks, a deal to buy or lease these platforms with modern communication gadgets and small arms was yet to be finalised.
The plan to install 50 radars along the coastline in all the nine littoral States too is progressing slowly. The radars were needed to detect any hostile or suspicious craft and alert security forces since it was practically not possible for them to patrol the entire sea.
Sources said the tendering process was in the final stages and the vendors would be short-listed soon. As regards the fast-track procedure, they said the normal acquisition process comprised eight steps and the fast-track option reduced these to four. Moreover, the approval for these deals was given post facto, they said.
Elaborating upon the division of responsibility for patrolling the seas, they said the State marine police covers the first 12 nautical miles from the coast, with the Coast Guards securing the next 200 nautical miles. The Navy’s domain starts beyond 200 miles and all these agencies urgently needed more aircraft and helicopters for surveillance.
The existing fleet of Dornier planes for reconnaissance with the Coast Guards and Navy is in the last phases of its operational lifespan and the acquisition plan was put up to the Government even before the Mumbai attacks.
Similarly, the long-range maritime patrol aircraft of the Navy were ageing and a deal was recently inked for the US maritime planes. Moreover, the US had offered to lease out 10 to 12 surveillance helicopters to India and the Government was considering the proposal, sources said.
The Navy, incidentally, was given the overall responsibility of coastal and off-shore security in February this year and asked to coordinate with 15 other stakeholders, including the Coast Guards, State police, Customs, port authorities and the fisheries department.
The Government also sanctioned the setting up of a Maritime Security Agency (MSA) involving all these agencies and Ministries. Given the complexities involved in achieving synergy and coordination, the Cabinet Secretary and the Home and Defence Ministries were still holding consultations to overcome certain issues, the sources added.
In a shambles
Govt yet to hasten pace of acquisition of weapons and surveillance equipment for Navy
Critical systems like coastal radars, fast patrol boats, helicopters, maritime surveillance aircraft and specialised weapons for security forces not inducted
Plan to install 50 radars along coastline in all littoral States progressing slowly
Long-range maritime patrol aircraft now ageing and a deal was recently inked for US maritime planes
But aircraft yet to arrive
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