Lack of coordination between security agencies is the key challenge
Former DGP of Andhra Pradesh H.J. Dora has a word with Gitam chairman M.V.V.S. Murthy during the national conference on India's coastal and cyber security challenges at the university in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. (Photo: DC)
Visakhapatnam: The coastal security and national security is a big challenge in India as there is lack of coordination among various security and intelligence agencies and dealing with the non-state actors is always a difficult situation.
These were the words of the senior IAS and IPS officers and Naval personnel during the national conference on India’s coastal and cyber security challenges at Gitam University here on Wednesday.
Delivering a lecture on the coastal security challenges, former Union home secretary and honorary director, Centre for Human Security Studies K. Padmanabhaiah said India’s coastline remains vulnerable in spite of the bomb blasts in Mumbai raising series of questions about the failure of coordination among the security services.
There is no coordination between the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). A total of 85 men–in-khaki were killed in a blast at Bastar region a few years ago, 84 of them were CRPF personnel, while only one was from the local police. This shows the lack of coordination and cooperation, he said.
As threat looms large from neighbouring countries, India should develop strategies for long-term security of the sea water as blue economy is going to be the catchword in the coming years.
Though coastal security is not the entire job of the government, it is really a wonder as we still don’t know who is the ultimate responsibility for the coastal security, he added.
At a time when neighbouring China has been developing strategic partnership with over 50 countries for defense logistic, India has not been encouraging China to invest in the country, Mr Padmanabhaiah pointed out.
India’s coastal security is an elaborate affair and the proficiency of maritime security comprises the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy and Coastal Security Police and few other agencies. The CSP should develop well-trained strike force for effective coastal security, opined former DGP of Andhra Pradesh H.J. Dora.
Stressing that identification of threat is the biggest challenge for the coastal security in India, Naval officer in-charge, AP, Cdr K.A. Bopanna opined that nearly 2.4 lakh fishing boats are sailing in the blue waters. Tracking of smaller fishing vessels is still a tough task due to lack of Automatic Identification System (AIS) for those boats. The boats need to be GPS enabled and colour-coded and identity cards should be made mandatory, he added.
Coastal security police in AP ill-equipped, say experts
Though Andhra Pradesh has a long coastline of 974.6 kms, the coastal security police (CSP) in the state is ill-equipped in terms of manpower, training and latest equipment to handle the emergencies.
Inspector general of police (Coastal Security) G. Surya Prakasha Rao, in his power-point presentation during the two-day national conference on India’s coastal and cyber security challenges at Gitam University here on Wednesday, pointed out that CSP is currently being managed by only one-third of the sanctioned strength.
Mr Rao said that they have a sanctioned strength of 192 sea-fearing personnel and they have just 21 and similarly of the 18 boats, only eight are functional. There is no track of the arms and ammunition sanctioned to the CSP in AP after the division of the state.The CSP in AP has a jurisdiction of 12 nautical miles from the coast and 500 metres off the coast. And the force is lacking communication equipment. The recruitment of 592 special police officers from the 592 fishermen villages in the state is yet to take off, he added.
Former security advisor at the UN, K.C. Reddy said that marine terrorism has become a cause of concern as almost all the vital installments were located along the coast.
President of Gitam University M.V.V.S. Murthi said that smart city needs to be made more secure and the CSP has a bigger role in strengthening the intelligence network. Speaking at the conference, former DGP of Tamil Nadu, Jagan M. Seshadri said TN is way ahead of AP in CSP and a total of 20 CSP stations manned by around 120 well-trained hands have been leading the CSP.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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