Vizag fishing harbour open for miscreants

Vizag fishing harbour open for miscreants
By SNV Sudhir
Visakhapatnam, Nov 25: Authorities seems to have not learnt lessons from the past. At the time when the country is going to observe third anniversary of Mumbai’s 26/11 terror attack, DC’s status check at Vizag’s fishing harbour reveals that it’s not so difficult for a miscreant to enter city through the harbour from the sea. Remember terrorists who unleashed havoc in Mumbai on 26/11 three years ago allegedly gained entry into Indian territory from sea posing as fishermen. Though off late there are no terror activities reported here, Vizag has been always under terror radar due to presence of Eastern Naval Command head quarters and other strategic security establishments along with numerous industries, SEZs.
There is hectic activity in the fishing harbour with fishermen, women seen busy in their regular chores but hardly any security personnel is seen around. There are no metal detectors installed at either of the entry or exit points to intercept any suspicious persons or objects. And not even CCTV cameras seen installed to regularly monitor the movement of persons, vehicles. Adding to the woes AP tourism is also conducting boat ride into the sea from the same premises. “Posing as a tourist it’s very easy for any foreign national to conduct a recce on how to enter the harbour from the sea and then get into city. As a tourist he or she can even take photographs and video of the entire harbour. And we have brought this issue into the notice of authorities several times to beef up the security here and also to shift the tourism activities from here,” AP mechanised fishing boats operators association, president Appa Rao, told this correspondent.
Sources have said the Ministry of Home Affairs is keen in shifting the harbour from the vicinity of the Visakhapatnam port to Bheemli on security grounds. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Mumbai, the ministry has taken the view that fishing harbours should be located at a distance from the major ports and therefore the Vizag fishing harbour should be relocated at Bheemli. The present harbour, was constructed in 1976 on 24 hectares of land belonging to Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT)
When asked about the security arrangements at the fishing harbour a top security official of VPT under conditions anonymity said “Though the land belongs to Visakhapatnam Port Trust since there is hectic movement of general public in fishing harbour it is the responsibility of local police to take care of security arrangements”. But, city police commissioner Purnachandra Rao said that providing security to the fishing harbour is not their duty and local police would definitely interfere if any crime happens on harbour premises.