Vasco: The second phase of the Sea Vigil exercise to check the preparedness of the security forces to counter trouble arising from the Sea, post-Mumbai terror attack, began off the Goa coast on Wednesday.
Commodore Dushyant Purohit, Chief Staff Officer and naval Officer In charge of Goa Naval Area told reporters at Vasco (South Goa) that the second phase of the Sea Vigil Exercise began on Wednesday and it will continue for 36 hours till Thursday off the Goa coast.
He said that Exercise Sea Vigil is an exercise which was conceived in 2018 basically to derive the lessons and actions to be taken after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
“Lot of improvement in the coastal security happened subsequent to the attacks. Presently, the fourth edition of this exercise is in progress. The aim of this exercise is to find our vulnerability and where we need to improve in the process of coastal security and defence,” Purohit said.
He said that one of the other aims is to generate a lot of consciousness about coastal security in our population for which, this time, we have deployed children from Scout and Guides as well as NCC cadets. “The programme for a fishing community which is going on throughout the year has also been intensified,” he added.
Purohit said that the Exercise is being conducted in two phases.
“The first phase commenced from November 12 and was in progress till yesterday, November 19 in which a joint team was made under the leadership of Indian navy with people from Indian Coast Guard, coastal security police (Goa Police), Intelligence Bureau as well as State Fisheries Department and other coastal security agencies,” he said.
Purohit said that this joint team went across to both, North and South Goa, to various positions such as fish landing points, ramps, coastal security police stations, and carried out the realistic evaluation of what is our capability and where we need to improve.
“This Audit is going to be very helpful in finding out what we need to do in the future,” he said.
The Naval officer said that subsequently, to this Audit, starting from 8 am on Wednesday, the exercise has ben started which will be in force for 36 hours and will finish late evening tomorrow.
“In this exercise, we have realistic simulation of the coastal security threat and there will be people who will act as infiltrators and there would be attempt to catch them,” he added.
Purhot said that this time, it is going to the largest exercise comprising all over the country including coastal states, island territories in which more than six ministries and 20 organisations are involved in it.
He said that the defence forces have established a coastal radar network after 26/11, lot of improvement has happened in the coastal surveillance and what is happening in water.
“The surveillance on coast and in the sea are the areas where constant improvement is required,” he said adding that for this reason, entire fishing community act as eyes and ears.
Purohit said that the Indian Navy gets a list of vulnerable areas from the state government. “Such areas which are sensitive, vulnerable and importance are already given lot of security. We are checking whether there is sufficient protection to these areas,” he said.
