Maharashtra police, IIT, Navy launch app to monitor coastal vessels
What's the story
The Maharashtra police have partnered with the Indian Navy and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to launch a mobile application named Marine Domain Awareness (MDA). The app will help monitor suspicious vessels along the state's 877-km coastline from Palghar to Sindhudurg. The initiative aims to fill a critical gap in coastal security by tracking smaller vessels like fishing and passenger boats that often operate without identification systems.
App functionality
MDA app to track 32,000 boats
The MDA app was developed under the guidance of an IIT Madras professor and will be used to track around 32,000 boats along Maharashtra's coast. This includes 28,000 fishing vessels and 4,000 passenger boats. Fishermen and passenger boat operators will be provided with mobile phones with the MDA app for real-time tracking. The app was successfully tested on 100 fishing boats over a month.
Surveillance setup
Control rooms for real-time surveillance
Vessel activity will be monitored through a central control room at Mahim Sagari Police Station. Additional rooms are planned across seven coastal districts for real-time surveillance and faster emergency response. Inspector General of Police Rajiv Jain, who heads Maharashtra's coastal security, told The Indian Express the system would significantly enhance surveillance and response capabilities. He added that authorities are working with the Department of Telecommunications to strengthen connectivity between vessels and control rooms.
Security upgrade
Community participation and rapid response
Once fully operational, registered Indian vessels will send identifiable "green" signals. Unidentified or suspicious vessels entering Indian waters will trigger a "red" alert. Speed boats from the coastal police, the Indian Coast Guard, and the Indian Navy will be deployed for patrol and rapid response. The MDA initiative also emphasizes community participation by training fishermen to spot suspicious activity and assist authorities in safeguarding the coastline.