The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has opened its third station in the east coast state of Andhra Pradesh in a bid to boost coast security infrastructure there and to enable better busting of maritime crimes such as smuggling and efficient search and rescue efforts for fishermen in distress.
The ICG station came up in Krishnapatnam, which is the 20th ICG station in the country. Seven more new stations are on the anvil.
The Krishnapatnam station was commissioned by Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju at a function. ICG Director General Vice Admiral MP Muralidharan and ICG Commander (East) Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma were present along with other central and state government officials at the event.
"The establishment of a station at Krishnapatnam is part of the ongoing efforts by the ICG to strengthen coastal security in the coastal states of the nation," a Defence ministry official said in New Delhi.
Raju, in his address during the commissioning ceremony, stated that the coast of Andhra Pradesh, being cyclone prone, had witnessed a number of incidents in the past, resulting in loss of life and property at sea.
This newly commissioned ICG station at Krishnapatnam would facilitate search and rescue operations towards saving lives.
The Krishnapatnam station will function under the administrative and operational control of ICG Commander (East) through Coast Guard district-6 headquarters located at Visakhapatnam.
The government appointed Commandant (Junior Grade) TRK Rao as the first commanding officer of the Krishnapatnam station.
The opening of the ICG station at Krishnapatnam and plans for future station are part of the government's efforts to increase the strength and infrastructure of the ICg three times over in the next five years. The plans were approved following the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008 that left the gaping holes in India's coastal security exposed.
New stations will soon come up in Mundra, Pipavav, Nizampatnam, Gopalpur, Frezergunj, Kamorta and Mayabunder. |