Coast guarding

After 26/11,when the terrorists who attacked Mumbai had arrived by sea,questions were asked about the security of our coastlines. Those questions were met,it appeared,with renewed energy. The home ministry announced plans to upgrade a coastal security scheme planned in 2005,but hanging fire since then; investment and patrolling were supposed to be stepped up too. Yet the past few weeks have revealed huge and embarrassing gaps in that protection. Through one of those gaps sailed the 1000-tonne MT Pavit,which the coast guard,based on unconfirmed reports,had thought was already sunk — but which turned up,larger than life,off the Juhu beach last week. This comes after the 9000-tonne MV Wisdom,which in July,seemed to be threatening the Worli Sealink before it,too,ran aground in Juhu.

These reveal continuing systemic flaws. The step-motherly treatment of the coast guard by their blue-water cousins has been problematic enough; but the fact that much of the crucial patrolling has to be done by untrained and under-equipped policemen on boats hardly seaworthy should be a cause for great concern. The amphibious vessels they are supposed to use all need repair,while the entire stretch of Mumbai’s coast is guarded by seven small open boats. Much of the remaining infrastructure,too,has been unable to withstand the weather conditions common during Mumbai’s monsoon. Meanwhile,the coast guard has emulated the senior branches of the services in at least one way: it has continually failed to utilise its capital allocations. Boats supposed to be decommissioned have not been replaced. New stations have not been activated. Those that are operational are mostly under-equipped,without proper berthing facilities or interceptor boats.

It has become clear that what ails Mumbai’s coastal security is not a lack of funds but a lack of serious political and administrative will. MT Pavit,ghosting up to Juhu beach to shock the vada-pav vendors,should remind authorities in New Delhi and Mumbai that money and words must be followed up with seriousness,if India’s coastal security matrix is to be thorough and leak-proof.