IT Correspondent
Mumbai, May 4:
The dedicated first-ever jetty of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) located at Fort Kochi in Kerala, a southern Indian state, was inaugurated by ICG Director General Virender Singh Pathania on Tuesday.
The senior officials of the ICG, Indian Navy, Cochin Port Trust, Military Engineering Service, delegates from the Central/ State agencies, and other stakeholders were present on the occasion.
The jetty constructed by the Cochin Port Trust is 220 Mtrs x 15 Mtrs in the harbour with a maintained depth of 7 Mtrs. This would facilitate swift deployment of ICG, an official statement here said.
The strategically located Kochi Port requires the presence of ICG to safeguard the Indian maritime interest. It is one of the major ports of India in the southern region and the Coast Guard District Headquarters No.4 (Kerala and Mahe district of the Puducherry Union Territory). It plays a paramount role in providing safety and security in sea areas of Kerala and the Lakshadweep Islands.
With the hub of maritime activities growing manifold at Kochi, ICG has increased its assets and as of now 04 Offshore Patrol Vessel( OPVs), 03 Fast Patrol Vessel (FPVs), 02 Interceptor boats (IBS), and 02 Auxiliary Barges are based at Kochi.
Addressing the gathering, ICG Director General VS Pathania appreciated the efforts of Cochin Port Trust and Commander Coast Guard District Headquarters No.4 (Kerala & Mahe) for creating the ICG jetty which would ensure seamless ICG operations in the sea areas of Kerala and Lakshadweep Islands. The ICG has made a significant presence all along the Indian coastline and plays a dominant and effective role in internal security and maritime law enforcement.
The ICG is multi-mission organisation conducting round-the-year real-life operations at sea. Despite being relatively small, it has a wide range of task capabilities for both surface and air operations.
The organization is headed by the Director-General, ICG, exercising his overall command and superintendence from the ICG headquarters located in New Delhi. At the headquarters, he is assisted by four Deputy Director Generals of the rank of Inspector General and other senior officers heading various staff divisions.
For effective command and control, the Maritime zones of India are divided into 5 Coast Guard regions, namely North-West, West, East, North-East, and Andaman and Nicobar with the respective Regional Headquarters located at Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Port Blair. The Coast Regions are commanded by officers of the rank of Inspector General.
