Mumbai:
Five new speedboats were added to the fleet of the city police for sea patrolling on Sunday by the Maharashtra government.
The five boats are a part of the 29 speedboats purchased by the state government on a budget of Rs 150 crore.
"Post 26/11 terror attack which was via the sea route, the need for a secured coastal line has increased. The central government has already provided us with 28 boats. Now, an additional 29 boats have been procured by the state government," Home Minister R R Patil told reporters.
The boats, manufactured by Marine Frontiers company, can travel to a speed of up to 48 nautical miles per hour.
Besides being bullet-proof, each of the boat is equipped with a radar that enables it to spot other boats in its radius and also measure the depth of the sea, a global positioning system and a marine communication device that will help it communicate with other boats.
"While five boats have been delivered today, the next five are expected in November and the remaining 19 boats are likely to be handed over to the police by January 2011," Director General of Police D Sivanandan said.
Aiming to have more speed boats to protect the coastline, the state government is likely to sanction Rs 150 crore in two more phases.
"Policemen will be trained by the coastguard for sea firing and navigation. The city police would soon have a marine wing which would apart from police also include people living in the coastal line," the DGP added.