Terror has designs on rigs

Intelligence agencies say off-shore assets under increased threat

Terror has designs on rigs

With the terrorists making major inroads into the sea for facilitating terrorist strikes and transporting logistics, the intelligence agencies have warned that the threat perception to vital coastal assets has increased manifold.

In a latest assessment, the spy agencies have given specific inputs to the government about the threat sea-terror poses to the offshore oil rigs. Following the revelation, the government is contemplating to deploy coast guards and the Marine Police to enhance security as well as enforcing a larger no-fishing zone around off-shore drilling assets.

The no-fishing zone presently extends to 5 nautical miles and it has been exceeded to 12 nautical miles now.

Though the government is yet to come up with a concrete plan, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told MiD DAY that "steps" are being taken to improve security of off shore assets.

"The extension of the no-fishing zone should be considered an initial step. The basic idea is to secure the environment around such assets before the coastal command comes into play," a senior MHA official told MiD DAY.

However, he refused to give a particular time frame, the official said, "The process has just begun."

"Setting up a coastal command is a larger concept, it will take some time to materialize but in the meanwhile such steps would surely help secure our assets."

The proposal regarding increasing the no-fishing zone was pending with the government for quite some time. "Oil companies have been asking the government to take such steps as the security around them was very thin and thus easily penetrable," he said.

The government has initiated procurement of interceptor boats and other required materials to enable the Marine Police and other agency to secure the area.

"Some of the areas where these rigs and assets are located are ventured by fishermen in large number. It is important to depute security personnel there so that off-limit areas can be properly demarcated," the official added.

The security drill for oil rigs would come as an added advantage for oil tankers and other ships in the sea. It was also learnt that some state governments have been pitching hard for such measures with the central government.

"Some of the coastal states have already mapped their coastline indicating the sites which need to be safeguarded. For example Gujarat and Maharashtra has several refineries located very close to their coast line," the officer said.