Safer coasts: Maharashtra sets marine police academy ball rolling

With the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts and 26/11 terror attacks underlining the security threat posed by Maharashtra’s 720km porous coast, the state government has sent a proposal for the establishment of the Government of India’s Marine Police Academy to train police officials in aspects of coastal security in the state.

As marine policing is an under-evolved discipline, the academy will also research the subject. The state government has identified a location at Bankot in Ratnagiri for the academy and will also appraise the Centre on alternate locations in Thane and Raigad.

A senior official said they had sent a proposal in this regard to the union government, which is planning to set up one marine police academy each on the 200-acre land on the west and east coasts.

Accordingly, additional chief secretary (home) Amitabh Rajan also visited a site at Bankot in Ratnagiri.

A team from the union home ministry will visit Maharashtra soon for an inspection and will also be appraised on alternate locations at Palghar in Thane and Alibaug in Raigad.

“The academy will train policemen from coastal states in marine policing,” said the official, adding that the state of art training facility would be an innovative concept and fully funded by the Centre.

“Marine policing is a poor affair in India,” said the official, admitting that security was perceived largely from the land point of view. The official stressed on the need to replicate the European model of coastal security.

He added that perceptions in India towards marine security had been changing after the 26/11 terror attacks, where the coast was revealed as porous and vulnerable, and admitted that law enforcement agencies needed to be trained in coastal security.

Posing threat
Although the Konkan coast presents an economic opportunity, it is also vulnerable to terror activities.

The arms and explosives used in the 1993 blasts landed in Raigad.

Also, the Pakistani terrorists who executed the 26/11 terror attacks arrived in Mumbai via the Arabian Sea.