India to enhance coast surveillance, security

NEW DELHI - Citing the “ever increasing security threat from the sea”, Defence Minister A.K. Antony Monday said the Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) system will raise India’s “real time maritime awareness”.

“The CSN system will provide a big boost to our real time maritime domain awareness,” Antony said, inaugurating the 29th Annual Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference here.

“There is an urgent need to keep our vast maritime zones under effective round-the-year surveillance by utilising all the assets at our disposal,” he said.

He also said that the CSN station in Maharashtra’s Tarapore will be commissioned soon.

Antony said the government is committed to enhance the force levels in a phased manner in the near future, and added that five stations have been commissioned at Karwar (Karnataka), Gandhinagar, Veraval (both Gujarat), Hutbay (Andaman Islands) and Murud Janjira (Maharashtra) to augment the Coast Guard’s presence.

Five other stations at Ratnagiri and Dahanu (Maharashtra), Minicoy (Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands), Mundra (Gujarat), and Kolkata are likely to come up next year.

According to the minister, as many as 42 Coast Guard stations will be functioning all along the coast by the end of the current Eleventh Plan.

He said the timely establishment of these coastal stations will allow greater synergy and cooperation among the Coast Guard, state governments and other central government organisations to prevent anti-national activities.

Antony also added that the government has sanctioned a total strength of 4,026 personnel - 596 officers, 2,941 enrolled personnel and 489 civilian personnel - for the force.

The three-day Coast Guard Commanders Conference will analyse operational capabilities, the deployment of forces and future challenges.