Andhra Pradesh

Heightened vigil for safety of port

Kakinada: With India facing unprecedented threat of sea-borne terrorism, the security apparatus is sought to be strengthened at all ports, including Kakinada port, which is the hub for export and import of food grains, fertilizers and iron ore.

Kakinada port is also emerging as a major crude transhipment centre, with the public sector oil companies showing keen interest in moving their cargo from local installations on a much larger scale.

In the wake of latest terrorist attack on Mumbai, security level 2 has been imposed at Kakinada port as per the International Ship and Port Facilities Safety (ISPS) code, up from level 1, according to directives of Director-General of Shipping. Besides, a radar-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) was recently installed to keep track of the merchant ships and other vessels, Kakinada port officer Krishna Mohan told The Hindu.

This heightened vigil is expected to fully secure Kakinada port, where terrorists may spring a surprise if and when they shift their target to minor ports.

The Coast Guard, Customs, State police, Kakinada port and Fisheries Department authorities have been therefore ordered by the government to take up joint patrolling in the vulnerable areas on a sustainable basis. Awareness is being created to secure alerts about the landing of foreigners on Indian shore in the guise of fishermen.

There were several instances of this happening, the more recent one being the arrest of Bangladeshi nationals in Srikakulam district.

The fact that Kakinada port is the closest one to Visakhapatnam port assumes greater significance as the former could serve as a platform for the anti-national forces to execute their sinister plots along this crucial stretch of the east coast. Visakhapatnam has obviously higher threat perception than Kakinada due to the presence of a large number of strategic installations like the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command, the Naval Dockyard, the Naval air station INS Dega and HPCL refinery / cavern project.

But, it is no cause for complacency as the importance of Kakinada is fast increasing with the foray of Reliance Industries Limited, establishment of the Indian Navy’s Amphibious Warfare Training School for which the foundation stone was laid recently and a host of other major development activities.

It is also pertinent to mention here that there were several incidents of armed robbery that took place on ships off Kakinada coast, reported at regular intervals to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as per the instructions of its Maritime Safety Committee.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu