Bhubaneswar: To strengthen coastal security, DGP Y B Khurania on Thursday instructed the marine police to carry out regular patrols across the state’s 16 uninhabited islands to deter infiltration and monitor any suspicious movements or activities.“Coastal security is a priority area for the government. While drone surveillance has already been strengthened along the coastline, marine police stations have now been instructed to conduct regular patrols of the islands,” Khurania said after hoisting the national flag at Udabali island off the Bhadrak coast.Odisha has around 55 islands in the sea and Chilika lake, of which 16 have been identified by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for flag hoisting during Republic Day celebrations. This practice began last year following a resolution at the All India DGP/IGP conference held in Bhubaneswar in Nov 2024.Khurania was joined at the ceremony by ADG (railway and coastal security) Arun Bothra, DIG (eastern range) Pinak Mishra, and SP (Bhadrak) Manoj Kumar Rout. He announced that Odisha police have drawn up long-term plans to modernize and strengthen the coastal security framework.“The state government has sanctioned Rs 149 crore in the current budget to support these initiatives. The funding will be used to establish an advanced command centre, install CCTV surveillance at fish landing centres, and upgrade marine police stations along the 575-km coastline,” he said. The investment will also cover procurement of motorised boats and trawlers, deployment of drones at every marine police station, and engagement of naval experts and technical consultants. Special marine police officers will be posted at fish landing centres, with community policing activities expanded across all coastal stations.In light of recent Indo-Pakistan border tensions, Odisha has intensified its preparedness along the seafront. Khurania emphasised the role of marine fishermen in identifying infiltrators and suspicious vessels, noting that police presence has been increased at fish landing centres to support these community-led efforts.Currently, Odisha has 73 fish landing centres, of which 32 are active, including four fishing harbours. “CCTV cameras will soon be installed at these centres, with feeds integrated into a state-of-the-art command and control centre in Bhubaneswar,” the DGP said.
