📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Original: Samudra Bikash Hazarika
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National
Bengal, Goa, Kerala Look to Adopt Odisha’s Coastal Policing Model
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 23 Aug 2026, 09:03 PM
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West Bengal, Goa and Kerala have expressed interest in copying Odisha’s coastal policing framework to strengthen maritime security along their shores.
The state governments of West Bengal, Goa and Kerala have signalled a willingness to replicate Odisha’s coastal policing system, which has been credited with curbing illegal fishing, smuggling and other maritime crimes along the eastern coast. Odisha’s model integrates the state police, the Indian Coast Guard and local fisheries departments, creating joint patrols and a dedicated coastal police force equipped with fast boats and surveillance technology.
Officials from the three states have reportedly studied Odisha’s operational guidelines and are preparing to tailor similar structures to their own coastal geographies. The move reflects a broader push to enhance maritime law enforcement in response to rising concerns over cross‑border trafficking and unregulated fishing activities.
If adopted, the new arrangements could involve the recruitment of specialized coastal police personnel, the deployment of high‑speed vessels, and the establishment of coastal command centres in each state. The initiative is expected to be coordinated with the central Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Navy to ensure seamless inter‑agency cooperation.
The states have not yet announced a timeline for implementation, but senior officials say discussions are underway to secure funding and technical assistance, drawing on Odisha’s experience as a template for effective coastal security.
Officials from the three states have reportedly studied Odisha’s operational guidelines and are preparing to tailor similar structures to their own coastal geographies. The move reflects a broader push to enhance maritime law enforcement in response to rising concerns over cross‑border trafficking and unregulated fishing activities.
If adopted, the new arrangements could involve the recruitment of specialized coastal police personnel, the deployment of high‑speed vessels, and the establishment of coastal command centres in each state. The initiative is expected to be coordinated with the central Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Navy to ensure seamless inter‑agency cooperation.
The states have not yet announced a timeline for implementation, but senior officials say discussions are underway to secure funding and technical assistance, drawing on Odisha’s experience as a template for effective coastal security.