By IANS,
Thane : As part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen coastal security, the Indian Coast Guard inaugurated its third station in Maharashtra at Dahanu in Thane district here Thursday.
ICG Dahanu, around 150 km north of Mumbai, will help boost coastal and sea patrolling along the northern Maharashtra coast as well as prevent illegal activities as smuggling and piracy, officials said.
The station was commissioned by Coast Guard Director-General, Vice-Admiral M. P. Muralidharan in the presence of top civil and defence officials from the central and state governments.
Muralidharan stressed on the need to main continuous vigil along the nation’s maritime borders called for continued synergy and co-ordination between various agencies involved in security operations.
He pointed out that the ICG has initiated several far-reaching projects to augment force levels as also manpower to meet existing and future maritime challenges.
The station will function under the jurisdiction of the commander, Coast Guard Region (West) Mumbai, and Commandant S. D. Sonak will head it.
In March 2011, the ICG had opened its second station in Maharashtra at Ratnagiri, around 225 km south of Mumbai.