Securing our shores: 8 years on, what has changed since 26/11

Eight years ago on this date our collective conscience got a jolt when terror struck maximum city. It is not as if it was the first time for Mumbai - but it was by far the deadliest. It was not a hit and run explosive routine. The bustling metro was brought to a standstill by half a dozen Pakistan based terrorists. The nation watched with disbelief and shock as groups of terrorists went on a shooting spree across the city before being cornered in two city hotels. One was caught alive and that was the luckiest part of it. However the luck came at the cost of the life of a brave constable - Tukaram Omble. Without his supreme sacrifice nobody would have had any clue as to the source of the vicious attacks.

Soon after 26/11 terror attacks, a two-member committee headed by RD Pradhan, former union cabinet secretary, and Vappala Balachandran, former special secretary, was constituted by Maharastra government to find out the short comings of the Mumbai Police during the attacks. The committee which submitted its report after few months to the government highlighted glaring loopholes in the security cover and also recommended steps to tackle them.

Also See: 26/11 Mumbai attack: Never seen photos of NSG operation

While steps have been taken on the fronts like installing CCTVs at the various places and creation of combat force on the lines of NSG for quick response but coastal security remains an area of concern. Given India's vast coastline, possibility of infiltration are ever present.

Even more important is intelligence and information sharing and coordination between the various agencies involved - like police, coast guard, navy etc. A dedicated force would have been ideal but a lack of manpower and budget constraints remains a constant hurdle. The prank of two school children could well have played out very differently if a real infiltration occurred.

However, in our limited scope we shall be looking at the various key recommendations made by the committee regarding coastal security and there status as on date.

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Recommendations of the committee

Creation of Specialised Combat Force on the line of the National Security Guard (NSG) to respond to such terror strikes

STATUS: 'Force One', an elite commando force was set up on the lines of National Security Guards (NSG). In September 2016 Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis<> inaugurated the building of Maharashtra's anti-terror unit 'Force One' which houses a training centre and hostel for the state commandos.Built at a budget of Rs 85 crore by Maharashtra Police Welfare and Housing Corporation, the structure has a specialised training institute for commandos besides a hostel facility for 140 personnel, and a 100 metre long firing range.

More Sophisticated weapons and bulletproof jackets for the Mumbai police force.
STATUS: Police now have modern equipments

Existing Quick Response Team (QRT) should be replaced by small well equipped force of commandos which will be at disposal of Mumbai police commissioner to be deployed at a short notice.
STATUS : Quick Response Teams (QRT) are set at region level.

Emphasis was on strengthening the coastal security with creation of new coastal police stations and purchasing speed boats and amphibian vehicles for patrolling
STATUS: Government has undertaken to set up 12 coastal police stations, but till date only two are operational -- one in the island city and the other in the western suburbs. However, both lack infrastructure.
while the establishment of police chowkies mostly remained on paper while the development of a jetty has been caught in government procedures. Of the 30-plus speed boats, some are either anchored at the bay and or can otherwise not be used by security personnel to conduct vigils, for want of adequate fuel.

Installation of CCTV cameras across the city at vital spots.
STATUS: A total of 4,717 cameras have been installed at 1,510 spots. These include fixed box cameras, pan/tilt/zoom cameras, thermal cameras and five mobile video surveillance vans, and the feed from all the cameras will be beamed to the Mumbai Police control room and the Mumbai Traffic Police control room.