Bhubaneswar: Police in the coastal districts of Odisha, especially Kendrapara, are bracing to deal with the threat of an influx of immigrants from Bangladesh in the backdrop of unrest and violence in the neighbouring country.
Odisha has one of the largest coastlines in the country, stretching over 480km along the Bay of Bengal. However, it is not well protected despite the setting up of marine police stations after the 26/11 terrorist attack.
Police have started a 24×7 vigil on seaways to Odisha and a high alert has been issued to all 18 marine police stations to check possible influx of immigrants from trouble-torn Bangladesh, said DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi on Thursday.
“High alert has been issued to the three most vulnerable coastal districts – Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara. Besides, Puri has been kept on high alert with enhanced security measures at Srimandir,” said the DGP.
Recently, Kendrapara Superintendent of Police (SP) Siddharth Kataria alerted the three marine police stations of the district to remain vigilant and check the possible influx of Bangladeshi immigrants into Bhitarkanika National Park through the sea route.
In the past, there were several instances when fishing vessels from Myanmar, Thailand and most frequently Bangladesh were seized by the Forest authorities or the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). In the wake of civil unrest and political uncertainty in Bangladesh, the threat of exodus from Bangladesh to India, especially on sea routes, looms large in the coastal districts of Odisha.
Keeping in mind the possible exodus of Bangladeshis via water route to take shelter at the fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park and also at their relatives’ houses in the coastal Kendrapara district, the SP has alerted the marine police stations to keep a close watch on the situation.
Areas like Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur coasts have reportedly become ‘mini Bangladesh’ with the population of illegal immigrants increasing every year. There were several vulnerable points along the coast, but the state machinery, except for setting up marine police stations, has failed to do much in this regard. Even the marine police stations lack the sanctioned strength. The absence of modern sophisticated gadgets and seaworthy vessels keep the personnel of marine police stations from entering into the deep sea to curb illegal infiltration.
Bangladeshi infiltrators manage to intrude into the coastal Kendrapara district, mostly between May and September, and settle in dollar spinning prawn business near the coasts. Some of them also come to their relatives’ houses, who have settled in the coastal districts, to help in prawn farming.
