Floating jetties to prevent Indo - Lanka smuggling activities

Officials in Ramanathapuram have decided to establish floating jetties to curb smuggling activities between Sri Lanka and India, The Hindu newspaper reported.

As the coastal district had close proximity to Sri Lanka and witnessed ‘thriving’ smuggling activities, the Commissionerate of Customs had established four CPUs in Rameswaram, Mandapam, Thondi and Kilakarai, under the supervision of the office of Additional Commissionerate.

The DOL had supplied four hi-tech boats, one each to the CPUs to step up surveillance and sea patrolling but after a few years, they could not be operated due to a lack in maintenance facilities. All the four boats are under repair now, official sources said.

To overcome the problem, the DOL has decided to establish floating jetties and repair the engines of two boats, E. Clement Jeevananthan, Assistant Commissioner of Customs told The Hindu. The Commissionerate engaged Engineers from Central Public Works (CPW), Madurai and completed the survey recently, he said.

The engineers opined that floating jetties could not be established in Kilakarai as the area was rocky and did not have necessary depth, he said. A minimum of three-metre depth near the shore was necessary for establishing floating jetties, he said.

-Agencies