Odisha and West Bengal have stepped up coastal security as the joint Sagar Kavach exercise began on Wednesday to assess preparedness against possible terrorist infiltration through waterways.
The large-scale mock drill involves security agencies from both states and covers operations extending from the sea to coastal areas on land. The exercise is designed to identify security gaps, improve inter-agency coordination and strengthen the ability of security forces to respond to potential threats entering through the maritime route.
Security personnel are carrying out surveillance and patrolling activities along coastal areas as part of the exercise.
Second Sagar Kavach Exercise Of The Year
The ongoing exercise is the second joint Sagar Kavach drill being conducted this year.
Such exercises are conducted twice annually to regularly assess and improve India’s coastal security preparedness. The drills were strengthened following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, which highlighted the vulnerability of India’s coastline to infiltration through the sea.
The exercise provides participating agencies with an opportunity to test their response mechanisms under simulated threat conditions.
18 Major Agencies Participate
Around 18 major Central and state government agencies are participating in the exercise.
The participating organisations include:
- Indian Navy
- Indian Coast Guard
- Marine Police
- CISF
- Forest Department
- Fisheries Department
- Customs
- District administration
- Paradip Port
- Various industrial establishments
The participation of multiple agencies is intended to test coordination and communication during a simulated coastal security emergency.
Red And Blue Teams Conduct Mock Operation
As part of the exercise, participating personnel have been divided into Red Team and Blue Team.
The Red Team acts as simulated terrorists and attempts to enter coastal areas through waterways. In the mock scenario, the team also attempts to blend into populated areas and target sensitive or crowded locations with simulated explosives.
The Blue Team is responsible for detecting and preventing the simulated infiltration. Personnel conduct coordinated surveillance and patrolling across maritime and land areas to identify and track Red Team members.
Focus On Coastal Security Preparedness
The Sagar Kavach exercise is intended to provide security agencies with a realistic assessment of their preparedness against possible maritime security threats.
By bringing multiple agencies together in a coordinated mock operation, the exercise can help identify operational gaps, improve information sharing and strengthen the overall coastal security response mechanism.
The ongoing drill along the Odisha-West Bengal coastline is therefore an important exercise in maintaining preparedness against potential threats through the country’s maritime routes.
