Post News Network
Puri, Oct 5: The discontinuation of sea patrolling jointly conducted by marine police, marine fisheries department and the forest department has led to apprehensions among ordinary residents and intellectuals alike regarding the security of the Jagannath temple.
“The illegal movement of pariah trawlers near the city coast was checked to a great extent due to the sea patrolling. A few trawlers were seen in the prohibited zone recently after the discontinuation of the sea patrolling,” said Banshidhar Mishra, a local resident.
Thousands of trawlers and mechanised boats, including many from neighbouring states and a few even from Bangladesh, regularly undertake fishing activities near the coast of the holy city. On occasions, trawlers from neighbouring states and also those from Bangladesh enter within two-three kilometres off the city coast in violation of a state government order, which prohibits the fishing of pariah trawlers within five kilometres off the coast.
There have also been instances when crews from unknown trawlers reached the city through small boats and returned without informing of their arrival to the city police, said social activists Santosh Kumar Patra and Smrutiranjan Mohanty. Sources said there were intelligence reports regarding possible threat to the Jagannath temple from a few terrorist groups.
Marine police, marine fisheries and forest departments, in association with Indian Coastguard, had initiated sea patrolling near the city after a group of terrorists launched an attack on Mumbai in 2008. The sea patrolling was, however, discontinued at least two weeks ago for some unknown reasons.
When contacted, additional divisional forest officer Debendra Behera said, “We do not have a regular trawler with us for sea patrolling. We are trying to resume patrolling by hiring a trawler from Paradip.”