Coastal Security

WHY IN NEWS:

• The Indian Coast Guard ship 'Vajra', the sixth offshore patrol vessel to enhance coastal security, has been commissioned into service on 24^th March 2021  

NEED FOR COASTAL SECURITY:

• Vast coastline:
  • India's 7,516-kilometre-long coastline includes 5,422 kilometres of coastline on the mainland and 2,094 kilometres on the islands
• Diverse range of topography:
  • Creeks (sir creek), Mangroves (Sunderbans), back waters, lagoons etc.
• Prone to piracy:
  • India’s western coast is at high risk of piracy.
• Economic importance:
  • Trade:
    • The coastline accounts for 90% of the country's trade
  • Offshore oil-exploration
  • Fishing in India is a major industry employing 14.5 million people
• External factor:
  • Unsettled maritime disputes:
    • Sir creek dispute with Pakistan
    • Notwithstanding the 1974 Indo-Lanka Maritime Boundary Agreement, Indian fishermen tend to cross the maritime border into Sri Lanka in the Palk Strait, which in turn leads to assaults by the Sri Lankan Navy
• Threat of maritime terrorism:
  • In 1993 Mumbai bomb blast >> explosives had been smuggled through Raigad coast of Maharashtra
  • In 2008 Mumbai terror attacks >> infiltration of terrorists through Mumbai coast
• Refugee crisis:
  • For example: forcible displacement of Muslim Myanmar nationals from the Arrakkan and Rakhine state of Myanmar >> led to refugee crisis in the eastern coast

INITIATIVES:

• Institution building:
  • National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security
    • It headed by Cabinet Secretary and it coordinates all matters related to Maritime and Coastal Security.
  • Indian Navy:
    • Designated as the authority responsible for overall maritime security, assisted by Indian Coast Guard and state police etc.
  • Indian Coast Guard:
    • It has responsibilities of law enforcement in India’s jurisdictional waters, safety and protection of artificial islands, offshore terminals, installations of structures in any maritime zone, assisting the customs and other authorities in anti-smuggling operations.
  • Marine police force:
    • Created under Coastal Security Scheme with the aim to strengthen infrastructure for patrolling and surveillance of coastal areas
• Military exercises:
  • Inter-agency:
    • For ex: Sagar Kavach and Sea Vigil exercise conducted in coordination among various agency
  • Joint Maritime Exercises conducted with foreign countries:
    • For ex: Malabar exercise, Konkan exercise
• Coodination:
  • Joint Operating Centres at Kochi, Vishakapatanam etc.
  • A three tier security grid was installed with Indian Navy, ICG and marine police joint patrolling India’s near seas
  • Community interaction programmes
• Capacity building:
  • Awareness generation and facilities such as ‘Sagar Vani’ to disseminate ocean information and alerts to the fisherman community
  • Issuance of fisherman biometric ID cards
  • National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP)
  • Mock drills
• Surveillance:
  • National Command Control Communication and Intelligence Network (NC3IN):
    • It links 20 naval and 31 Coast Guard monitoring stations to generate a seamless real-time picture of the nearly 7,500-km long coastline.
  • Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC):
    • It is the main center of the Indian Navy for coastal surveillance and monitoring
    • It is the nodal center of NC3I
  • Setting up of Information Fusion Centre (IFC)
    • For regional information sharing on commercial shipping
  • Tracking of vessels/fishing boats:
    • Colour coding of fishing boats
    • Vessel traffic management system radars in port
    • All vessels above 20m length must be mandatorily fitted with Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment  

CHALLENGES:

• Lack of coordination:
  • The involvement of different agencies and ministries at centre, state and local level invariably leads to coordination problems
  • Lack of clarity among various stakeholders about their roles in ensuring coastal security.
• Structural Gap:
  • Sufficient attention has not been paid to provide police stations with essential requirements such as proper training to their personnel for sea operations, adequate fuel and funds for the running and maintenance of the boats, buildings for police stations, etc.
• Poor Training:
  • Lack of a dedicated training academy for the Coast Guard.
• Low local support:
  • Fishermen are considered the ‘eyes and ears’ of the coastal security architecture and are an integral part of it
  • Discontent in fishermen communities interferes with the effective functioning of the coastal security architecture
• Geographical challenges:
  • Difficult terrain, seasonal weather patterns etc. all contribute towards introducing gaps in surveillance and the monitoring mechanism.
• Low infrastructure creation:
  • Delays in land acquisition and support infrastructure, such as barracks and staff quarters at several locations.
  • Jetties under the Coastal Security Scheme were yet to be constructed.

WAY FORWARD

• Strengthen surveillance:
  • Authorities must ensure the mandatory fitment of AIS on power-driven vessels with a length more than 10m.
• Stronger involvement of coastal police
  • Instead of setting up a coastal border security force with no legal powers, the authorities must move to strengthen and better integrate the coastal police into the littoral security architecture.
• A legislative framework
  • Comprehensive legislations to place systems and processes for the protection of India’s maritime infrastructure, covering both the shipping and port sectors.
  • Statutory duties of government departments, Port trusts, state maritime boards, non-major ports and private terminal operators and other stakeholders need to be clearly outlined
• Strengthening of the Coast Guard
  • Ambiguities from the Coast Guard Act need to be removed to ensure all security agencies are clear about the roles and responsibilities they are expected to perform.
• National commercial maritime security policy document
  • The government must promulgate a National Commercial Maritime Security Policy Document, to articulate its strategic vision for maritime security.
• Conduct security exercise regularly:
  • Coastal security exercises like sagar kavach and sea vigil need to be conducted regularly, in order to generate awareness about threats emanating from the sea as well as to develop synergies among the concerned agencies.

BEST PRACTICE:

• National inter-ministerial framework of France:
  • It aims to improve the fight against maritime insecurity which is based on an analysis of short- and medium-term maritime risks and threats.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. “Considering India’s maritime vulnerabilities, there is an urgent need to improve the capabilities of all the maritime forces”. Discuss