The patrolling boats at the Gopalpur port jetty. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, Feb. 28: Coastal security appears to be in jeopardy with two patrolling boats of Marine police station in Ganjam district lying idle at the jetty of Gopalpur Ports Limited.

The boats are of no use as they cannot cross the channel and enter the sea. The channel is completely choked with silt. The Gopalpur port authority has also expressed its inability to dredge the channel because of the skyrocketing expense.

“Earlier, we used to patrol 12 nautical miles in the sea from the coastline. But now, the 3.7km-long channel from the Gopalpur port jetty, where these two boats have been kept, is blocked and filled with sands. The two boats, meant for patrolling, are lying idle in the jetty because of the absence of dredging by the Gopalpur port authority. We have stopped patrolling of the sea since last October,” said Jyostna Kaunri, inspector in charge of Marine police station, Ganjam.

Man Mohan Maharana, director of Gopalpur Ports Limited, has expressed their inability to dredge the channel from the jetty to the deep sea round the year.

“The Gopalpur port authority cannot take the responsibility of dredging the channel as deposit of sands in the channel is a continuous process. We are entrusted with the job of constructing the all-weather port at Gopalpur. It’s urgent. The dredging operation requires Rs 22 crore to Rs 23 crore per annum. As we have no shipping activity now, why should we spend such a big amount on dredging the channel only to facilitate two patrolling boats of the Marine police station of Ganjam,” Maharana said.

Gopalpur Ports Limited has an outdated dredger to lift 200 cubic meter sands per hour. Now, the capacity has decreased to 100 cubic meter of sands. The dredger cannot dig the channel to a depth required for patrolling boats of Marine police station.

“It requires at least a minimum depth of 8ft for smooth movement of patrolling boats in the channel. But now, the depth of water is even 2ft at some places after deposition of sands in the channel and it is impossible on our part to venture into the sea. The keels of the boats are angular and sharp in size. In this condition if the boat hits the sand, it would be tilt and capsize,” said Kaunri.

Marine police station has jurisdiction in an area of about 70km in the sea from Prayagi in Rambha to Patisunapur near Golanthara. But, it was provided with just two boats, which have been lying useless since October last year.

Marine police station, which was opened in 2009, is also plagued by staff shortage. It is run with 21 men against the sanctioned strength of 81. The state has five marine police stations and has a proposal to set up another 13 to strengthen coastal security.