Indian pollution control vessel on two-day Lanka visit

A state-of-the art pollution control vessel of the Indian Coast Guard is on its maiden visit to Sri Lanka to strengthen ties and mutual understanding with the their counterparts there, the Indian mission here said today.
During its two-day visit starting today, Samudra Peheredar's crew will participate in professional, training and sports interactions with Sri Lanka Coast Guard personnel.
The exercises are aimed at strengthening ties and mutual understanding between the two Coast Guards.
The ship will also conduct practical training in harbour and at sea for Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard personnel.
The visit of ICGS Samudra Paheredar is expected to provide Sri Lankan agencies with an insight into Indian Coast Guard's capabilities and best practices in the field of pollution response.

This would allow the two countries to develop greater confidence to work together at sea in the event of any disaster or contingency, the Indian High Commission said.

The indigenously-built Samudra Paheredar is designed to respond to major marine pollution contingencies both in harbours and offshore areas.
With its modern pollution response equipment, the ship is capable of containing major oil spills, recovering, and storing large quantities of recovered pollutants onboard.
An experienced team of personnel specialised in pollution response handle the pollution control operations of the ship.
Samudra Paheredar has a crew of over 100 personnel and is commanded by Deputy Inspector General Deepak Raj Sharma.