ICG rebased at northern, southern flanks of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Two Indian Coast Guard ships have been rebased at northern and southern flanks of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at Diglipur and Campbell Bay respectively.

"In a major boost to maritime security in Andaman & Nicobar islands, @IndiaCoastGuard ships Rajtarang & Rajkiran have been rebased at northern & southern flanks of Islands at Diglipur & Campbell Bay respectively," the Indian Coast Gurad said in a post on 'X'.

"The rebasing will ensure enhanced coastal security, #MaritimeLawEnforcement, EEZ surveillance, search & rescue, pollution response, & swift response to maritime contingencies," it added.

Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard 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 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.

Earlier on March 25, Indian Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, arrived at Manila Bay, Philippines on a three-day visit. The visit of specialized Pollution Control Vessels is part of a broader initiative aimed at demonstration of ICG Marine Pollution Response capabilities and shared concern & resolve towards Marine Pollution in the ASEAN region, besides bolstering bilateral cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The ICG ship is on an overseas deployment to ASEAN countries namely the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei from March 25 to April 12. The deployment is the third in a row by the Indian Coast Guard to ASEAN countries. Earlier in the year 2023, ICG Pollution Control Vessels visited Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia as part of the initiative.

The ship is equipped with specialized marine pollution control equipment and a Chetak Helicopter in Pollution Response configuration, designed to contain, and recover spilled oil and augment the operation. The demonstration at visiting ports includes Pollution Response training and a practical display of various equipment.