Kochi: Security along the tourist resorts in
the backwaters of Kerala need to be strengthened, a top Naval
officer said on Friday.
"This is a new area we have gone through as part of the
exercise," Commodore M R Ajay Kumar, Naval Officer-in-charge
(Kerala) said, briefing reporters about the just concluded
'Triton-2' series of exercises along the Kerala coast.
The first exercise was held in October last year.
"We know about our strengths and it is equally important
to know our weaknesses," Ajay Kumar, also Commanding Officer
of INS Venduruthy, said adding the three-day exercise from
April 19 had been 'successful'.
"What we wanted to achieve, we have achieved," he said.
Two such exercises will be held every year -- along the
Kerala and Lakshadweep coasts. The Lakshadweep exercise would
be held in July, he said.
Coastguard ship Lakshmibai, INS Bagaram, INS Sutlej,
Navy's Dornier and Chetak aircraft and UAVs were among those
which participated in the exercise in which at least 1000
personnel drawn from Indian Navy, Coastguard, Fisheries
department, Police Customs, Port and various state agencies
took part.
Coastguard Deputy Inspector General, B K Loshali said
various locations, including Secretariat, Doordarshan Kendra,
LNG Terminal, NTPC Kayamkulam were selected to test the level
of their security.
Declining to go into the specifics of the exercises,
Commander Ajay Kumar said "We will interact with concerned
agencies. Overall objectives of the exercise have been met".
"The objectives of the exercise will keep changing as we
go on. What we learn as weakness now, will be our objective in
the next exercise," he said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, April 23, 2010, 23:17