Stung by terror travelling in the country via sea route, the government is trying to plug India?s porous maritime front. The home ministry has summoned representatives of all the ports in India to New Delhi to discuss existing security arrangements and the need to tighten them on a war-footing.
Just last week, shipping, road transport and highways minister TR Baalu directed the directorate general of shipping to conduct a security audit at the 12 major ports in the country. On Friday, the home secretary will convey a similar message to the 187 minor ports, under the jurisdiction of their respective state maritime departments, as well as the major ports.
Baalu had asked all the chairpersons of the major ports to immediately send their security requisitions to the concerned agencies, especially the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). They were also directed to acquire two speedboats to patrol their areas of operation. ?Instructions regarding safety measures have been sent to all the major ports and they have been asked to revert with the compliance report in fifteen days,? said a top ministry official.
On the meeting of the representatives of the ports located in various maritime states with the home secretary tomorrow, the official said, ?The smaller ports are likely to be asked to take up the security measures similar to the ones directed by the ministry to the major ports the previous week. They might also have to acquire speedboats to patrol their area.?
Another major initiative that the ministry is planning to take up to deal with terror is to upgrade the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) and empower it to deal with safety and security of operations at the various ports. ?As far as regulatory body is concerned, we already have DG shipping. However, to deal with situation like a terror threat, we are planning to designate authority to TAMP to closely monitor security at ports,? he added.
On container security initiative, the official said, it is not operational at all the ports. ?Only two to three ports have scanners that check all the cargo. Taking up container security is highly capital intensive. First of all, it requires a lot of space at the ports. Secondly, one needs manpower and train them to scan the cargo. These are the challenges that we are currently facing,? he said.
The ministry is also taking up tech upgrade at ships as well as ports for efficient surveillance of various kind of ships. ?Talks are on with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) for low-cost tracking device for fishing vessels,? said another ministry official. Long-range information and tracking system has been developed for the bigger ships at an investment of Rs 4 crore. The system is likely to be installed by December,? he added.
Troubled waters
• Just last week, TR Baalu asked DG shipping to conduct a security audit at 12 major ports
• He directed major ports to immediately send security requisitions to the concerned agencies, especially the CISF
• They were also directed to acquire two speedboats to patrol their areas of operation
• On Friday, the home secretary will convey a similar message to the 187 minor ports
• Upgrading TAMP to deal with terror threat also on cards