New Delhi: Amid a major political crisis in Sri Lanka, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed its hovercraft, aircraft and patrol boats to heighten vigilance on the maritime border with the island nation to prevent any possible influx of refugees or of anti-Indian elements From there.
Surveillance has been stepped up in areas stretching from the Tamil Nadu coast to parts of the Kerala coast with the deployment of personnel and assets from the Coast Guard as well as other agencies, government officials told ANI. here.
Surveillance activities were stepped up soon after a new political crisis erupted in the island nation where people stormed the presidential palace and leaders reportedly fled the capital, Colombo.
Apart from the central agencies, the Tamil Nadu Coastal Police are also on high alert.
Officials said that since the onset of political chaos due to the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, there have been a few cases of people trying to cross, but the numbers are not very significant.
The monsoon has also made sea conditions very rough, which would act as a deterrent against people trying to use the sea route to enter Indian waters, officials said.
Officials said the hovercraft units deployed to Myanmar’s Mandalay would play a key role in the surveillance activities as they can move at high speed in the swampy area as well as in the shallow waters between the Indian and Sri Lankan coasts. lankans.
The force’s Dornier surveillance planes are also increasing outings to monitor the maritime border. (ANI)
