Tightening Indian security, more than one lakh ships in the country will now be fitted with an Automatic Identific-ation System (AIS) at the cost of Rs 500 crore to prevent any terrorist attack from the sea.
Tightening Indian security, more than one lakh ships in the country will now be fitted with an Automatic Identific-ation System (AIS) at the cost of Rs 500 crore to prevent any terrorist attack from the sea.
AISs are designed to provide the position of a particular ship to other ships, coastal authorities and the Navy at all times.
This will make sure that if a ship from another country that does not have AIS enters Indian waters, it'll be detected as it stands out like a sore thumb on the radar.
An additional 2 lakh fishing boats, including 19,000 from Maharashtra and over 44,000 from Gujarat, will also be fitted with AIS.
After 26/11
The nautical adviser to the central government, Captain M M Saggi, told MiD DAY that the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has made it mandatory for all ships above 20 feet in length to install AIS. The smaller vessels will be fitted later.
This decision was taken after 10 terrorists managed to slip into Mumbai waters without getting detected. That would not have been possible if AIS had been installed on all Indian ships.
Maharashtra Macchimar Association's president Damodar Tandel said the price of an AIS is around Rs 10,000.
While 75 per cent of the cost will be borne by the Central Fisheries Development Board, 25 per cent of the cost will be shared by the state.
"The AIS may go a long way in preventing another 26/11. The Gujarat government alone is spending Rs 200 crore on the instruments," said Tandel.
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