Mumbai's lax coastal security: Are we waiting for another 26/11?

The 26 November Mumbai attacks took place barely five years ago, but Mumbai seems to have learned no lessons.

It is well known that the terrorists who carried out the attack, came from Karachi in a boat taking advantage of the lacklustre security arrangements on the coast.

Yet to this day only 14 of the 27 coastal security boats are operational at the moment, and all indications are that the situation is unlikely to improve any time soon.

CNN-IBN has accessed a nine-point coastal threat alarm internal report of the Mumbai Police. The report was prepared for internal circulation in the police department so that these risks can be averted.

These are some key points of the report:

First, lack of common entry and exit points for the yachts at the Gateway of India poses a huge security threat. These coupled with encroachments along the coastal zone pose a huge problem and must be removed as they hamper the security arrangements in the coastal region

There is no common channel for security agencies like Customs, Mumbai Port, Immigration and Police and communication among the different agencies should be stepped up with immediate effect.

There is also a Security threat to the oil pipelines of HPCL, BPCL and IO. Identity card for sailors are being manipulated and they should be carrying passports for safety and identification purposes. Supply of provisions through the small boats gives rise to a lot of illegalities which should also be curbed immediately, said the report.