PANJIM: The Captain of Port (CoP) has acquired a new diesel engine patrol boat which will be used for surveillance and interception of suspicious vessels within the Panjim port jurisdiction.
The vessel constructed by Goa Shipyard in Vasco at a cost of Rs 2.63 crore, is capable of doing 30 knots.
Captain James Braganza said that though CoP has a speed boat but that is too small to meet the requirements. “Its speed is 8-9 knots, while the requirements is 10-15 knots,” he added.
As the number of private vessels cruising within inland waters has gone up, in the absence of a proper boat, Panjim port authorities find it difficult to keep tabs on over-speeding vessels, he added. “With the new patrol boat, we will be geared to maintain security in the port area and also in tackling problems in the inland waterways,” Braganza said.
