Coastal Security Arrangement

 Coastal Security Arrangement

• Coastal Security Scheme (CSS) is being implemented to strengthen security infrastructure of Marine Police Force in coastal states/UTs. (Funding)
• CSS seeks to strengthen patrolling of coastal areas through Coastal Police Stations, Coastal check posts, deployment of boats, vessels, four-wheelers and two-wheelers across all coastal regions.
• It aims to strengthen Surveillance through Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers and a chain of overlapping coastal radars, for gapless cover along the entire coast.
• Coordination- At the apex level the National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS), headed by the Cabinet Secretary, coordinates all matters related to Maritime and Coastal Security. Inter–agency coordination, between nearly 15 national and state agencies has improved dramatically, only due to regular “exercises” conducted by the Navy in all the coastal states. (Coast guard under ministry of Defence)
• Joint Operations Centres (JOCs)- are set up by the Navy as command and control hubs for coastal security at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Port Blair are fully operational. These JOCs are manned 24×7 jointly by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Marine Police.
• Continuous surveillance- Coastal patrolling by Navy, Coast Guard and marine police has increased sharply over the last few years.
• National Command Control Communication and Intelligence Network (NC3I)- to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness. (5 Editorial - 18th Edition)
• It is an over-arching coastal security network which collates data about all ships, dhows, fishing boats and all other vessels operating near our coast, from multiple technical sources including the AIS and radar chain.
• These inputs are fused and analysed at the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) at Gurgaon, which disseminates this compiled Common Operating Picture for Coastal Security to all 51 nodes of the Navy & Coast Guard spread across the coast of India.
• Indian Navy – Radar Stations in Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Mauritius and Seychelles, Sri Lanka; Main focus is to monitor – Eastern Indian Ocean and South Andaman WRT China. (Enlighten & Self-interest)
• Cooperative Synergy – 8 Countries – post liaison officer in Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre; France, UK and Quad members;
• China’s Development – New gen Submarines – Stealthier and Mapping the Ocean floor.
• Indian Navy inducted – Sea Guardian drones of USA, P-8I Aircrafts; Undersea sensors with Japan Cooperation
• Transnational Crimes monitoring – GSAT 7A (Satellite)– Sharing info with partners SAGAR and Net security provider and preferred partner in Indian Ocean Realm
• cooperation is indispensible to India’s maritime security.
• Harbour Defense And Surveillance System - Indian Navy has installed Integrated Underwater Harbour Defense and Surveillance (IUHDSS) at Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam naval harbour.
• Designed by Israeli Aerospace Industry called ELTA, it comprises of Coastal Surveillance Radars, High Power Underwater Sensors and Diver Detection Sonars. It is capable of detecting, identifying, tracking and generating warnings for all types of surface and subsurface Threats to harbor security.
• Training -The Navy and Coast Guard have also provided periodic maritime training to marine police in all coastal states. In order to have a permanent police training facility, Marine Police training institutes in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have been approved by the Government.
• The Indian navy is also required to raise a specialised force called the Sagar Prahari Bal (Like NSG in Army) for protecting its bases and adjacent vulnerable areas and vulnerable points. Once the force is fully raised, it would comprise 1000 naval personnel equipped with 80 interceptor boats to patrol the approaches of the naval bases and other strategic installations.\
• Operation Sagar Kavach was put in operation post 26/11 to improve coordination between security agencies including the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and the local police. Its latest edition was held in January 2021 in Andaman and Nicobar.
• (Sagarmala - Read Scheme)
• Indian Ocean Naval Symposium to provide an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues.
• An informal layer of surveillance comprising the fishermen community - created following the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts - has also been formalised and activated in all coastal states.
• By virtue of their role in surveillance and intelligence gathering, the fishermen communities are referred to as the ‘ears and eyes’ of coastal security.
• These fisher men groups, christened Sagar Suraksha Dal, comprising of trained volunteers who monitor the seas and coastal waters.
• Fishermen cooperation- Issue of ID cards to all fishermen with a single centralised database, registration of over 2 lakh fishing vessels operating off India’s coast and equipping fishing boats with suitable equipment, to facilitate vessel identification and tracking are some of the other steps taken.

India - Sri Lanka

• Katchatheevu Islands – 1974 Accord.
• Fishermen Issue – Non recognition of maritime boundary by Indians & Use of trawlers.
• Threat of re-emergence of LTTE.

India China

• String of Pearls; venturing of Chinese Submarines in Indian Waters.

India Maldives

• Radicalisation thorugh madrassas; Ungoverned Islands – Launch pad for terror activities and spill over to Lakshadweep and Kerala.

Steps Taken

• AIS (Automatic Identification System) Transponders for big trawlers - GPS to Fishermen.
• RFID and Common registration system of boats.
• Colour codes for boats.
• Distress Alert System to alert NCG during crisis.
• Coastal security helpline numbers 1554 (ICG) and 1093 (Marine Police) have also been operationalized for fishermen to communicate any information to these agencies.
• Sustainable fishing and alternate livelihood – There is a glaring need for institutionalisation of fishing in Indian waters by the government of India so that alternative means of livelihood are provided.
• deep-sea fishing, and inland alternatives need to be promoted, else India’s fishermen will be locked in a conflict with their Sri Lankan counterparts as well as with a hostile Sri Lankan Navy.
• Institutional mechanism - Last year, the two countries agreed on establishing a Joint Working Group (JWG) on fisheries to help resolve the dispute, setting up a hotline between the Coast Guards of India and Sri Lanka, convening of the JWG once in three months, and meetings of the fisheries ministers every half-year were the components of the mechanism to be put in place.
• Indian Navy or Coast Guard should join the Sri Lankan Navy in jointly patrolling the international boundary to prevent trespassing.

Way Forward

• NCG should be made as sole authority for maritime security; Indian Navy should be relieved of Coastal Security Ops.
• NCS must be brought under Ministry of Home Affairs for operational coordination with Marine Police.
• State of art training and capacity building of Marine Police Force.
• Upgradation of coastal security infrastructure with latest equipments and gadgets.
• Recruitment under Marine Police and NCG from local population.
• Provide satellite phones to fisher man.
• Provide subside for GPS place in fisher man boat.
• The potential threat from smaller rouge boats is likely to be addressed through a satellite-guided friends or foe identification system of the ISRO with two-way messaging system in all local language.
• Regular coastal security exercises like Sea Vigil, bi-annual Sagar Kavach, should be conducted to audit the actual security scenario.
• Capacity building of the maritime police force both in terms of training as well as resources like Navy & Coast Guard.