In six months’ time, the State coast will get 24-hour electronic surveillance with a radar operating system (ROS) from Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore with the Coast Guard as the nodal agency, said Commandant (Junior Grade) Rajender Singh Sapal, Executive Officer, Coast Guard, Karnataka. The radars are being installed and the information feed from the radars will be monitored online at the Bhatkal lighthouse and Surathkal lighthouse, he said. The difference between the manual and the electronic manual system is that in the latter, even the smallest boat can be sighted.
Addressing presspersons here on Friday Mr. Sapal said that there were fears that the Karnataka coastline is left open. “This is not so,” he said. The Coast Guard have been maintaining a very strict vigil on the country’s Western coast. “Our ships and aircraft are constantly monitoring not only the West Coast but also Lakshadweep & Minicoy (L&M) Islands. The operations are centrally co-ordinated from its operation centre at Mumbai,” he said. December to January 26 is a very vulnerable time. Any small incident affects the morale of people, he said.
The Coast Guard has been augmenting its force level by adding new ships, aircraft and opening new stations and air enclaves. The Coast Guard opened a new station in Minicoy on December 24, 2010. In 2011, it is also setting up coast guard stations at Ratnagiri, Androth and Dahanu. Four new units are going to be established at Ratnagiri, New Mangalore, Kochi and Minicoy, said Mr. Sapal.
“NMPT has agreed to give us a jetty. Right now, Coast Guard are dependent on berths allotted by NMPT,” he said.
“Island Watch”
Mr. Sapal said that, at present, “Operation Island Watch” is on at the L&M Islands to prevent piracy attacks on merchant vessels there. The operation has been on for the last one month, implemented by the Coast Guard in Kochi and including one ship, a fast patrol vessel (FPV), from Mangalore. It works to protect merchant vessels that move the high traffic zone with routes from Sri Lanka to Kerala and Mundhra area, he said. “No incident has taken place till now,” he said.
“Certain cases were mentioned of vessels being chased and we concluded it is by Somalian pirates. But there must be a mother vessel provides logistical support to the feeders, and we are searching for that,” said R. K. Sharma, Commandant (JG), District Operations and Plans Officer for District Commander, Coast Guard, Karnataka.
Mr. Sapal said that the Coast Guard are trying to acquire some land near the old terminal building of Mangalore Airport at Bajpe for using as an air enclave. “Proceedings of the acquisition are at an advanced stage and we expect to take it over very soon,” he said. Once that is done, the Coast Guard will place at least two Dorniers there, he said.
Hoverport in Karwar
Mr.Sapal also said that Karwar may get a hovercraft base as it has got sand dunes that enable parking of the hovercraft. Its speed is its advantage over other vessels.
