By IANS,
New Delhi: May 19 (IANS) India Thursday opened a new Coast Guard station at Mundra in Gujarat’s Kutch district in an effort to shore up the coastal security apparatus close to maritime border with Pakistan.
The station, ICGS Mundra, was commissioned by Coast Guard Director General Vice Admiral Anil Chopra.
“The new station at Mundra will play an effective role in undertaking joint coastal patrols along with the marine police, customs and fisheries departments to thwart maritime security threats in the sensitive coastal region of Gujarat,” a Coast Guard press release said here.
Commandant R.K. Srivastava has been appointed the first commanding officer of the station.
The commissioning was witnessed by Coast Guard northwest region commander Deputy Inspector General B.S. Yadav, besides officers and men of the Indian Coast Guard and representatives of various state government agencies.
The Coast Guard also plans to soon open another station at Pipavav in Gujarat.
In response to its enhanced role, the service is pursuing urgent enhancement of its surveillance capabilities to effectively meet its tasks and responsibilities.
The present force-levels and manpower are being doubled, with proportionate and corresponding infrastructure development and augmentation of trained manpower.
India has been carrying out a massive coastal security beef-up in the aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack via the sea route.
By the end of 2012, there will be a total of 42 Coast Guard stations, five air stations and 10 air cnclaves functioning from various locations along the coast.
Apart from increase in force levels and manpower of the Coast Guard, the Indian Navy too would be augmented with new warships and manpower, including 30 warships on order and a new 1,000-man Sagar Prahari Bal (naval infantry) to protect vital coastal installations.