Centre taking measures to enhance maritime security: Minister

"Maritime security has undergone a lot of changes during the last two decades due to the increase in the threats," Singh said.

"Therefore, the government is implementing several projects to strengthen the security systems in order to protect the coasts," he said, adding that the maritime trade has been increasing very fast.

The minister was speaking at the inauguration of the coastal chain of static sensors positioned along the coast of Andhra Pradesh at Coast Guard District Headquarters here.

The Chain of Static Sensors project being steered by the Indian Coast Guard, envisages using high-end surveillance gadgets on lighthouses and masts at various locations on the mainland, in Lakshadweep and Minicoy and Andaman and Nicobar islands, he said.

According to Singh, the first phase of the project would be completed by the end of March next year. "In the first phase, Gujarat, Maharastra and Kerala clusters of the network were inaugurated in August this year," Singh said.

The Andhra Pradesh cluster, inaugurated today, would signify the operationalisation of the network on the east coast, he added.

"In phase II of the project 38 additional remote radar sites would be established," he said, adding that 21 sites of the Vessel Traffic Management systems of the Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat would also be integrated in that phase.

Later, while talking to media, Singh said that Andhra Pradesh was one of the important states in the country in terms of sea trade and ship building.

The minister emphasised the need to help the fishermen community in the coastal area of Andhra Pradesh in view of the "frequent cyclones". (More)