The Border Security Force (BSF) will soon get its first set of Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) of specially trained marine commandos to guard the sensitive creek areas across Gujarat. The Gujarat Frontier of BSF has been raising these teams on the lines of the elite MarcoS of the Indian Navy for effective security along the 104-km long creek area under its jurisdiction. This crack unit will be called Crocodiles. QRTs of marine commandos,who can operate effectively in the creek areas,were a long felt need of this frontier. Special training for these QRTs is on at Koteshwar and will take about a years time to complete, said Frontier Inspector General A K Sinha. Official spokesperson of the BSF,DIG (Intelligence) K Srinivasan,when contacted in Delhi,said: This is the first time that the force has decided to create QRTs of specially trained commando groups for creek and marine related operations in the country. About 30 to 40 personnel in all BSF units in Gujarat will be trained for this special task. Senior officers in the frontier said these teams will include BSF commandos selected on the basis of their swimming and marine diving performance,endurance to work in the rough creek and Rann terrain,and firing abilities. These QRTs will consist of six BSF commandos headed by an Assistant Commandant. They will remain attached to the three Floating Border Out Posts (BOPs) in the creek area and operate from special speedboats, an officer said. The frontiers effort to enhance surveillance includes increasing accessibility into the creek regions,procuring hovercraft,Fast Attack Craft (FAC) and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs),setting up border outposts (BOPs),building road to link creek areas with the mainland and enlarging the intelligence gathering network. Four FACs and an ATV estimated to cost Rs 62.25 crore have been sanctioned for the creek region by the Ministry of Home Affairs. As the work of erecting fences and flood lights on the nearly 400-km long international land border in Gujarat is heading towards completion,the frontier is now focusing on the increase of its dominance in the creek areas across the state. Several large creeks like Sir Creek,Pir Sanai Creek,Pabewari Creek,Vianwari Creek,Koori Creek and Deveri Creek in the region and numerous nullahs in the area are still vulnerable to infiltration.
