PANJIM: In major security negligence by the Home Department for the last five years; the Coastal Security Police Stations of Goa have been left wanting for even one patrolling vessel and latest equipment.
The State’s Coastal Police are on tenterhooks for the last five years, as in the absence of patrolling vessels, they have been compelled to adjust with small canoes and inflatable boats and have been seeking help from fishing trawlers.
Following the 26/11 Mumbai incidents, the coastal security of the country was accorded utmost importance.
India’s long coastline presents a variety of security concerns that include the landing of arms and explosives at isolated spots on the coast, infiltration/exfiltration of anti-national elements, use of the sea and offshore islands for criminal activities, smuggling of consumer and intermediate goods through sea routes, etc.
Far from doing anything to keep our coasts safe by taking precautions, the Superintendent of Police (SP) Coastal Police Raju Raut Desai said, “We request the Fisheries and Captain of Ports for boats when there is some action that needs to be taken. With the boats that we have, we can only do surveillance of rivers.” It was lost on him that the coastal police’s job is to prevent “any action”, not make “requests” when action has happened.
In 2012, seven coastal police stations in Goa had seven 12-tonne interceptor patrolling boats. All these boats have been out of order since 2018. Important police stations manning critical river mouths of the State are using canoes and small inflatable boats for surveillance.
The staff of several police stations is compelled to conduct riverside surveillance on foot. Police stations manning the river and seacoasts in South Goa have been facing difficult times in taking action against violations recorded in the sea.
“There are seven coastal police stations in Goa. However, we don’t have patrolling boats at present. We have small boats which we use at present,” said Desai.
“The construction of a patrolling vessel for coastal police is complete and will be commissioned in services soon,” said Desai. After five years this assurance is literally meaningless.
When contacted, Betul Coastal Police Inspector Rahul Naik said, “We have a small canoe which we use when in need. Our police station does not have a patrolling boat.”
Panjim Coastal Police Station PI Ajit Umarye said, “We don’t have a patrolling vessel since 2019. For small inquiries within the river, we use inflatable boats.”
The absence of physical barriers on the coast and the presence of vital industrial and defence installations near the coast also enhance the vulnerability of the coasts to illegal cross-border activities.
