Kendrapara: The third marine police station has opened at Tantiapala in the district to step up vigil on coastal security besides rendering assistance to people during cyclone and other natural disasters.

The other two marine police stations are situated at Jamboo and Talchua in the district.

Inspector-general of police (central) Soumendra Kumar Priyadarshi on Wednesday inaugurated the building of Tantiapal marine police station, which has life-saving jackets, binoculars, first-aid equipment, patrol jeeps, telephone, VHF set, public address system and emergency equipment. Besides, the station will have a five-tonne capacity speed boat at its disposal.

The new station is manned by a sub-inspector, an assistant sub-inspector, five constables and 15 home guards. Besides sea-route patrolling, it will have territorial jurisdiction over 57 villages that earlier used to be controlled by Mahakalpada police station.

Eighteen marine police stations now operate in the state. In the first phase, five such stations became operational in Balaramgadi (Balasore), Dhamra (Bhadrak), Jamboo (Kendrapara), Paradip (Jagatsinghpur) and Aryapalli (Ganjam).

In the second phase, Talasari and Kansaphala (Balasore), Chudamani and Kashia (Bhadrak), Talchua (Kendrapara), Jatadhara Muhana (Jagatsinghpur), Astaranga, Chandrabhaga and Penthakata and Arakhakuda (Puri) and three other places have begun functioning.

However, all these police stations are hit by infrastructure deficiencies.

Though the number of marine police stations stands at 18, they have only 13 sea-worthy vessels at their disposal. The boats supplied do not fit into Odisha coast and creeks, said an official.