Indian Coast Guard strengthens presence in Gujarat

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has strategically based additional hovercraft at Jakhau, close to the Indo-Pak Maritime frontier and a capital ship at Vadinar in the Gulf of Kutch, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has strategically based additional hovercraft at Jakhau, close to the Indo-Pakistan maritime frontier and a capital ship at Vadinar in the Gulf of Kutch, according to an official statement issued on Monday. ICGS Samudra Pavak, a specialised Marine Pollution Control Vessel, will now operate from the new Coast Guard Jetty at Vadinar, which was recently inaugurated on March 1 by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, it said.

The Gulf of Kutch is a fast-developing area, particularly in the oil and port sectors, where 70 per cent of the country's oil is being handled through the facilities available in the region. The Gulf also has a rich biodiversity, living resources, fisheries, coral reefs and mangrove vegetation, which are highly vulnerable in case of an oil spill from surrounding oil industries, and thus the positioning of the specialist vessel by ICG will enhance its capacity to mitigate environmental threats, the statement said. The dedicated Marine Pollution Response Unit was also raised in 2018 at Vadinar to provide professional and quick responses to emerging situations and, most importantly, to be a hub of coordination for all stakeholders in the region, it added.

The statement further added that the 95-metre-long ship Samudra Pavak is equipped with advanced pollution response and control equipment to mitigate oil spills. It can perform activities such as containing and recovering oil in cases of oil pollution at sea. The ship is also equipped with two rigid sweeping arms, enabling the containment of spilled oil in motion at sea as well. The ship is being commanded by DIG Aniket Singh, along with 19 officers and approximately 120 enrolled personnel, it added. It may be recalled that, considering the significance of the region, the ICG conducted an international-level marine pollution response exercise, NATPOLREX off Vadinar in November 2023. The exercise witnessed the participation of delegates from more than 30 countries, apart from the majority of national stakeholders, it said. (ANI)

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