OFF THE MALABAR COAST (SOUTHERN) INDIA (PTI): Effective check on Narco-terrorism activities through the 6800-Kms of Indian coastline has become one of the latest challenges faced by the guardians of country’s Coastal frontiers the coast guard.

The director general of the coast guard vice-admiral Krishan Kohli has indicated that the growth in these activities will continue to pose dangerous threats to Indian coasts in the coming years and said the stress will be to take counter measures to stop them.

Economic liberalization policies of the government have to a large extent curtailed smuggling of gold and silver but smuggling gangs were increasingly resorting to the movement of narcotics arms and ammunition and explosive often with help from hostile agencies abroad says Admiral Kohli ‘The coast guard which celebrates 17 years of formation next month will in future make more effort in guarding the maritime borders from preventing trade of narcotics and drugs used as payments for arms ammunition and explosives and illegal exploitation of natural resources in India’s exclusive economic zone.

With over 50 ships of different types and aver 20 rotary and fixed wing aircraft the coast guard maintains constant surveillance over its area of responsibility including sensitive maritime boundaries with India’s neighbors

The entre coastline says the Admiral is vulnerable and his force is entrusted with the task of safeguarding India’s interest in the maritime zone that extends in over an area of 2.8 million square kms.

He said guarding the exclusive economic zones which extends up to 200 nautical miles from the coastline was needed also to prevent the maritime encroachments and illegal exploitation of India’s offshore resources

The large number of operations on eastern and western coasts by coast guard has checked various threats he said and cited that these have resulted in apprehension of arms and explosives on LTTE ship M.V. Ahat in the bay of Bengal as well as large number of poachers and illegal immigrants from across the maritime borders.

Admiral Kohli said because of the strict vigil by coast guard there had been no landings of explosives on the Indian coast after the serial blasts at Bombay last March.

 

Article extracted from this publication >> January 28, 1994