ICG on high alert, ready to help
S Vishnu Sharma, INN/Chennai, @infodeaofficial
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) initiated series of pre-emptive measures from the first sign of weather disturbance in Bay of Bengal on April 23. The force that protects our marine front has taken up these measures to prevent loss of life of fishermen on the sea.
Sources from Defence Ministry point out that these measures was keeping in view the cyclone fani that is expected to make a landfall on May 3. Fisheries authorities, state administration and local units were being warned since April 23.
Close liaison is being maintained with the state administration, various departments and Indian Meteorological Department to ensure wide spread precautionary measures in the affected areas. Indian Coast Guard Remote Operating Stations located in Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal are issuing safety messages on radio in local languages.
Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft were deployed along the East coast since April 24 for issuance of advisories and warnings in vernacular languages to fishermen at sea and for their safe return to ports.
International Safety Net (ISN) was activated on April 24 in the Bay of Bengal by Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (Chennai/ Mumbai) requesting transiting Merchant vessels to advise and warn fishermen to return to harbour or take shelter at nearest fishing harbour and render assistance, if required and is continuing since then.
Preparedness meetings were conducted by chief secretaries at Chennai on April 24 and Kolkata on April 30. The meetings were attended by ICG representatives.
The surface and air assets of Coast Guard have been deployed extensively in Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry coast to mobilise rescue and relief material. Coast Guard has been launching four dornier sorties on an average every day to alert fishing boats on sea near Chennai, Bhubhaneswar and Kolkata.
The force has ensured that no boats are roaming on the sea in coordination with fisheries departments of the states of Andhra Pradesh, Kolkata, Tamilnadu and Odisha. The planes of the marine force on the lookout for any boats that are yet to reach the coast.Special community interaction programmes were held at Tuticorin, Pamban, Villupuram, Chennai, Krishnapatnam, Nizampatnam, Visakhapatnam, Uppalanaka (Kakinada), Paradip, Haldia, Gopalpur and Frazergunj for fishermen and coastal populace for undertaking safety measures.
Also, force has kept four disaster response teams ready at Vizag, Chennai, Paradip and Haldia, two teams at Frazergunj and Gopalpur.
Indian Navy
Indian Navy is also on high alert keeping in view fani that is likely to make a landfall. Eastern Naval Command (ENC) has assumed readiness to render necessary help. Naval ships at Visakhapatnam and Chennai are on stand-by to proceed to the most affected areas to undertake evacuation, provide logistic support and medical aid. These ships are embarked with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats and relief material that include food, tentage, clothes, medicines, blankets etc, in quantities sufficient. Naval aircraft are also standing by at the naval air stations in INS Rajali at Arakkonam and INS Dega at Visakhapatnam to undertake reconnaissance, rescue, casualty evacuation and air drop of relief material to the stranded if required. ENC is monitoring the developments in the Bay of Bengal closely and Flag Officer of Tamilnadu and Puducherry Naval Area(FOTNA) and Naval Officers-in-Charge (Andhra Pradesh) and (Odisha) are in constant communication with respective state administrations to augment rescue and relief operations as needed.
