Indian Coast Guard will focus on 'Safer Lives, Safer Coast And Safer Seas' in 2014

Vice Admiral A G Thapliyal,Director-General of the Indian Coast Guard, said Friday that the coast guard would focus on 'Safer Lives, Safer Coast And Safer Seas' in 2014.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the 37th anniversary of the founding of the force, Vice-Admiral Thapliyal said that since its inception, the service has grown into a multi-faceted, vibrant and credible force, maintaining round the clock vigil in the vast maritime zones of India.

"In the last few years, the coastal security infrastructure has been made robust and strengthened. The standard operating procedures on coastal security have immensely contributed towards synergizing the efforts of the stakeholders," he said.

"The ICG has been complementing the Indian Navy's lead in strengthening the overall maritime security.

About 15 coastal security exercises and 27 coastal security operations have been conducted in the preceding year alone," he added.

"The addition of 29 surface platforms (one each Pollution Control Vessel and Offshore Patrol Vessel, 12 Fast Patrol Vessels, eight Air Cushion Vessels and seven Interceptor Boats) and supporting shore infrastructure which includes a Regional Headquarter (North-East) at Kolkata and District Headquarters-14 at Port Blair in the recent past is an earnest effort by this growing service to ensure presence all along the 7500 Km long Indian coastline and render swift response to emergency contingencies at sea. We expect to add another 15-20 vessels this year," the Coast Guard chief said.

"Today, the Indian Coast Guard has an organizational structure comprising five regional headquarters, 14 district headquarters, 41 stations and 9 air stations/ enclaves with suitably equipped surface and air units dispersed along these stations on 24x7 days task of surveillance round the year," he added.

He also maintained that piracy by Somalians has witnessed a downward trend in attacks since 2010.

He said that the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard have jointly mounted operations to prevent piracy raids since 2010.

"The Indian Coast Guard has carved a niche for itself at the international level and is today recognized as one of the leading coast guards in the Indian Ocean Rim region," he said.