Chennai: Finally, 65 policemen from the Coastal Security Group of the state police began their much-needed sea training on Monday which would enable them to safeguard the more than 1,000-km-long TN coast.
Safeguarding the seasore got into the priority list of the department, particularly after the city of Mumbai witnessed terrorists entering the metropolis via the sea and unleashing terror in November 2008.
“We will be getting 20 high-end boats in a few months. By the time we get the boats, our men will be sea-ready,” said a senior police official.
The Indian Coast Guard will be training the policemen for a month at sea. It includes acclimatisation, seafaring, navigation, communication, search and rescue operation, arms handling and boat maintenance, among other things.
The training module is designed in such a way that the policemen will be spending the entire last week of their time in the sea. Additional director general of police, Dr C. Sylendra Babu, Costal Security Group, had been coordinating with the Indian Coast Guard officials to give training for the policemen.
Officials at the state police headquarters here also pointed out that the land for the proposed 13 marine police stations had been identified and construction work for the station buildings will start in a month’s time. The department is planning to import 20 boats through the Central government.