Responding to inadequacy of civic amenities at the Naval detachment here at Thopputhurai in Vedaranyam, Collector T.Munusamy has issued directions to the Vedaranyam Municipality to rectify the shortcomings.
The Collector was on a tour to ascertain the infrastructure and security apparatus of the detachment on Saturday.
Appraising the Collector on the mandate of the detachment on land, and its coordination with its personnel in the high seas, Commander Kaisare, officer (in-charge), Thopputhurai Naval detachment, took Mr.Munusamy on a tour of the security and surveillance apparatus deployed to monitor off-shore movement.
Radio interceptor
A 24-hour mobile radio transmission interceptor to intercept and interpret off-shore radio transmissions was also illustrated.
The mobile radio interceptor at Thopputhurai is one of the two such interceptors stationed along the east coast here after Rameshwaram.
In the wake of recent attacks on fisher folk and allegations of crossover of Sri Lankan boats in mid-sea, Commander Kaisare demonstrated surveillance techniques on X-ray surveillance radars that projected a general absence of even stray crossovers of alien boats into Indian waters.
Movement of boats
The X-ray surveillance radars compatible with IFF transponders (identification friend or foe) are deployed at the Naval detachments for round-the-clock surveillance of movement of Indian boats as well as intrusion of alien boats along the International Maritime Boundary Line.
Arcottuthurai-based fisher folk met the Collector on the detachment premises with their demand for a breakwater jetty.
With no facility for an anchorage, the Vedaranyam-based boats are subject largely to the whims of the weather.
According to the fisher folk, over 500 boats, including trawlers, fibre-reinforced boats and catamarans will have to find anchorage either at Nagapattinam, which was over 45 kilometres from Arcottuthurai or at Mallipattinam, over 70 kilometres from here. The lack of anchorage has also posed hurdles for Naval patrol boats.
On the infrastructure front, the Collector assured reinforced concrete roofs for the now-asbestos-sheeted dorms of sailors.
Later, an off-shore trip up to the Naval patrol boat was carried out, under the command of the Naval personnel.
