Mumbai's Coastal Security Set For Major Upgrade; ₹118 Cr Plan For Patrolling Speedboats, ₹60 Cr For Jetties

Mumbai: As the National Investigation Agency continues interrogating Tahawwur Rana, the alleged 26/11 terror plotter recently extradited to India, the Maharashtra government is revamping Mumbai’s coastal security infrastructure to plug long-standing gaps exposed during the 2008 terror attacks.

Mega Budget For Getting New Patrolling Boats, Upgrading Old Ones

The state has approved a Rs 118 crore proposal to procure 20 new patrolling boats for the Mumbai Coastal Police. Additionally, Rs 14 crore has been allocated to repair and upgrade 13 non-functional boats, including 10 speedboats rendered useless due to a fraud involving engine replacement.

Currently, Mumbai’s coastal police reportedly operate a fleet of 23 boats, most acquired after the 26/11 attacks when 10 Pakistani terrorists entered Mumbai via sea, killing 166 and injuring hundreds. In response, the state had procured 28 boats in 2011 and the Centre provided 27 more to Maharashtra, four of which were allotted to Mumbai.

Mumbai Coastal Police Patrol Boat (Representational image)

However, by 2020, it was discovered that powerful Yamaha engines on at least 10 speedboats had been fraudulently swapped with old engines from a Dubai-based company, reducing their performance drastically. The boats could only reach speeds of 10 nautical miles per hour and broke down frequently, leaving personnel unwilling to risk using them.

In 2022, then Additional Director General Sunil Ramanand registered an FIR against three maintenance firms and submitted a proposal to the state for urgent repairs. The government eventually approved the plan and funds were released to restore the 13 damaged boats.

New Engines With Enhanced Power & Abilities Procured

According to a Hindustan Times report, as part of the revamp, 250 HP Yamaha engines, capable of reaching 35 nautical miles per hour and operating for two days on a full tank, have been procured. These engines underwent over 1,500 hours of sea trials before being cleared.

Four boats have already been repaired and are undergoing sea trials. They will soon be deployed along the northeastern coastline, from Vashi Bridge to Gorai, equipped with modern surveillance tools. The remaining nine boats will be refurbished in two phases: five by September and four more by the year-end.

Currently, 13 boats (10 acquired post-26/11 and three older ones from the early 2000s) patrol Mumbai’s coastline. Once the refurbished vessels are operational, patrolling frequency will increase, especially across 91 sensitive locations identified along the city’s 114-nautical-mile coastline.

2 Jetties Planned In South Mumbai

Additionally, the government has sanctioned Rs 60 crore to build two jetties, one fixed at Lakda Bunder near Mazgaon Dock and another floating at Girgaon Chowpatty, to provide dedicated docking and repair facilities for coastal police boats.