Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi, Dec 20: The Central government on Saturday decided to provide radar coverage for the entire coastline of the country. It also cleared the setting up of nine additional Coast Guard stations for better coastal security. The decisions came in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks and Defence Minister AK Antony’s call earlier in the day for strengthening the Coast Guard.
Antony also stressed on the need for better coordination between the state governments and the Coast Guard, on one hand, and Coast Guard and intelligence agencies on the other.
India has over 7000 km long coastline and its vulnerability was exposed in the Mumbai terror attacks where the terrorists used the sea route to reach the country’s financial capital. Post Mumbai attacks, there has been an urgency on the government’s part to strengthen the coastline.
The security of the coastal areas also assumes significance in view of the fact that the country’s major nuclear installations are situated along the coastline and an attack on them would be detrimental to India’s security.
First Published: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 00:00