Two new speedboats have been added to the fleet that keeps an eye on the waters. On Tuesday, police commissioner D Sivanandhan

inaugurated the two boats, `Koyna’ and `Kaveri’, taking the total count of patrolling vessels to 11.

“These boats will patrol Mumbai shores up to 5 nautical miles, an area that falls under the jurisdiction of the Mumbai police. The new additions will help us keep a better watch on the coastal regions and plug the loopholes of the security system around the sea. With a beefed-up safety system in place, we hope to prevent another 26/11-like carnage,” said Sivanandan.

Koyna, measuring 13 m in length was procured at Rs 3.5 crore, while the 9-m-long Kaveri cost Rs 1.5 crore. Manufactured by the Goa Shipping Yard, the boats are run by two 500-horsepower engines each. Besides being bullet-proof, each of the vessels is equipped with a radar that enables it to spot other boats in its radius and also measure the depth of the sea, a global positioning system and a marine communication device that will help it communicate with other boats.

These speedboats, with air-conditioned cabins, can travel at a speed of up to 38 nautical miles per hour, much higher than the existing 10-15 nautical miles per hour. “Around 450 police personnel have been trained by the Coast Guard and they had to attend 18 courses. The personnel who will be on board have also received firearm training. There is a firing stand to instal AK 47 and other guns on the speedboats,” said Sivanandan.

“These are interceptor boats. It has GPS; wireless and all other modern technology equipment required are installed in the boat. Policemen would feel more safe and secure in these boats. I hope that these boats will help in better interception,” said D. Shivanand, Mumbai city’s commissioner of police.

Like Hong Kong, which has around 250 speedboats to protect its shoreline, Sivanandan said there was a need for more such boats. “The Maharashtra government has already spent around Rs 50 crore to add teeth to the security along the sea. We plan to procure 20 more such speedboats in near future,” he said.

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