Coast Guard Comes Up With ICG Dahanu in Maharashtra, Steps-Up Maritime Security

 

Posted on: March 23, 2012

http://www.defencenow.com/news/588/coast-guard-comes-up-with-icg-dahanu-in-maharashtra-steps-up-maritime-security.html

With coastal security and maritime preparedness high on the agenda, the Indian Coast Guard has inaugurated its third station in Maharashtra. The ICG Dahanu station was commissioned by Coast Guard Director-General, Vice-Admiral M. P. Muralidharan and several top defence officials. The station would play a crucial role in undertaking joint coastal patrol along with the state police, Customs and Fisheries Department to counter maritime threats.

ICG Dahanu is situated 150 kilometres from Mumbai and it will enable coastal and sea patrols by the Coast Guard to counter threats like piracy, illegal trade and terrorist attacks. According to Vice-Admiral Murlidharan, the Coast Guard has launched several crucial projects to increase the manpower and efficiency of its force to face future maritime challenges.

With a highly vulnerable coastline, the Indian Coast Guard has a daunting task ahead to secure its coasts. The ICG Dahanu will mainly keep a watch over the northern Maharashtra coast. Indian Coast Guard has indicated that security operations must be organized and coordinated between various other forces to become more effective.

Besides, securing the Dahanu coast in Maharasthra with the new ICG station, the Indian Coast guard in collaboration with Indian Space Research had also distributed the Distress Alert Transmitters (DAT) earlier. This was initiated in order to help them in case of emergency when in the high seas. The DAT can be activated easily to send an alert that will be transmitted by a satellite on a particular frequency band and relayed to the ICG-Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC).

Post 26/11 mumbai terror attacks, the Maharashtra government has been stepping up its coastal security to thwart any more attacks from the seas. In fact, various proposals have been made to have the ability and technology to track smaller vessels. The Mumbai Police sought a ‘transponder-based radar system’ where every small vessel, anchored or sailing, can be tabbed. For such a system, there must be a Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT) or passive transponders like the Automatic Identification System (AIS).

Before the ICG Dahanu, the Indian Coast Guard had opened its second station in Maharashtra at Ratnagiri, around 225 kilometeres south of Mumbai. A plan to set up a Coast Guard Air Station at Ratnagiri has been on the anvil and it will be the first full-fledged ICG air station in Maharashtra. The air station will play a crucial role in maritime surveillance and Search and Rescue and adjoining coast of Maharashtra.

 Meanwhile, the force-levels and manpower of the Indian Coast guard are slated to be doubled in a few years and this will be proportionate to the corresponding infrastructure development. According to Coast Guard Regional Commander (East) Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma, the capacity building projects of the Coast Guard and Marine Police are under full swing. ICG will be starting four new stations, two new air stations besides inducting more than 20 ships and 10 aircraft soon.