The renewed efforts to tighten security and surveillance in shallow areas close to the coast have been made to counter illegal cross-border activities and criminal acts, including infiltration by terrorists and smuggling of arms and explosives, quoting Home Ministry officials the newspaper said.

The Indian government's urgency on the matter came in the backdrop of the recent series of blasts in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Agartala which suggested that the nature of the explosives used, the triggering mechanism employed and the placement of explosives were acts of terror modules closely linked to one another.

Intelligence agencies have also cautioned the Indian government that terror groups were trying to use gaps in India's coastline that connect the country to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives, all of which have seen rising terrorist activities.

Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his address at the recent Governors' Conference has said certain terrorists groups were constantly trying to set up new terror modules within the country.

Under the scheme, which is being implemented in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal besides Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the coastal police stations are being equipped with 204 boats, 149 jeeps and 312 motorcycles.

Steps are being taken to strengthen joint patrolling off the coast in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh to prevent any attempt by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives as most of these states have suffered terror strikes in the recent past.