Coastal surveillance has been further tightened along the Kerela coast. The Director General of Coast Guard Vice Admiral M P Muralidharan commissioned a coastal chain of four radar stations along the coast of Kerala and a Remote Operation Station at Kochi. This is part of the network being set up in the country in the wake of the attack on Mumbai.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the first phase of the Remote Radar Stations being set up as part of the coastal surveillance system will be completed by March next year. 46 stations are to be set up in the first phase, of which 10 are in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Vice Admiral Muralidharan said the radar stations in the mainland will be completed by this year end. He said 38 radar stations will be taken up during the second phase.

The radar stations commissioned yesterday have been set up at Mount Dilli in Kannur, Ponnani, Vypin and Kollam . Each station has a radar range of 125 km, and a camera range of 10 km. The chain will enhance the electronic surveillance along the 590 km long coastal stretch of Kerala.