Aditya Kakkar

SPEXER 2000MA radar

New Delhi: India’s littoral security has remained a huge concern post the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Even though major steps have been taken by the government to secure the country’s colossal coast of 7,516 kilometres, yawning gaps still remain. The coastline touches 13 states and Union Territories and there are about 1,197 islands. So, to secure this vast coastline, a new proposal has been mooted to have a new force which exclusively guards India’s coast.

According to the home ministry, the force would be under the control of the central government and called Coastal Border Police Force. “The proposal to raise the new force was discussed at a meeting called for review of all issues of all central paramilitary forces,” a home ministry spokesman said on August 3. At present, the Indian Navy is responsible for maritime security while the Coast Guard secures territorial waters. The aim is to not just secure the coastline but also vital installations such as oils rigs and atomic power stations. A case in point, the Kalpakkam atomic power station in Tamil Nadu.

Since the Mumbai attack, India has installed a chain of coastal radars, automatic identification systems and created a National Command and Control Communications Intelligence Network (NC3IN). There has been a talk of co-opting local fishermen for intelligence purposes but the community has been reluctant to even allow transponders on their trawlers, lest they be tracked at all times. Even the Indian Coast Guard has admitted its helplessness in gaining the complete trust of the fishing community for a variety of