Foreign ship strays near Tamil Nadu N-plant, sparks breach talk

NEW DELHI: There was sudden panic in the security establishment when a cargo ship flying the Singapore flag was found anchored in Indian waters off the Tuticorin coast on Friday without any intimation. 

The Coast Guard took control of the ship and is conducting a thorough search for illegal cargo if any. The ship, an offshore supply vessel, will be searched to ascertain if it is carrying any illegal cargo or indulging in illegal activity, a Coast Guard official said in New Delhi. 

The ship straying into Indian waters without any information is being considered a serious breach of security since Tamil Nadu has sensitive nuclear establishments which for long have been on the radar of terrorists. 

The ship is being towed by Coast Guard officials to Tuticorin port for detailed investigation. There could also be a possibility of the ship having anchored in Indian waters due to bad weather, officials said. 

After gaping holes were found in coastal security post-26/11, the government has taken a number of measures to upgrade the security set up. The number of police stations along the 7,500 km coastline has been proposed to be increased to 72 and areas around nuclear establishments have been declared no-fishing zones. 

A regular coastal security brief is being attended by officials of Navy, Coast Guard, marine police of states besides intelligence agencies to increase vigilance and better coordination efforts. 

Navy and Coast Guard have been tasked to provide assistance to states in recruiting and training executive and technical staff for coastal police stations. 

A high-level committee headed by cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar regularly reviews measures being undertaken to bolster coastal security. The committee includes the Navy chief, secretaries of all ministries concerned like defence, home, petroleum as well as chief secretaries of all coastal states. 

The government is speeding up acquisition and leasing of interceptor boats, off-shore patrol vessels, radars and surveillance aircraft and helicopters for Navy and Coast Guard to revitalise the security infrastructure. 

At least 38 coastal stations will get "the cover of foolproof surveillance" by end-2010, while the rest will be covered in Phase-II. The petroleum ministry, in turn, has been asked to procure "intermediate supply vessels (ISVs)" for protection of offshore assets. 

Times of india