The XIthNational Maritime Search and Rescue Board
(NMSARB) meeting was held in Chennai on July 24. The meeting was presided
over by the Director General Indian Coast Guard Vice AdmiralMP
Muralidharan, Chairman of NMSARB.
In his opening address, the Chairman highlighted various initiatives of
Indian Coast Guard for improving Search and Rescue infrastructure,
services and support. He also stressed on the need for strengthening the
cooperation mechanism between various resource agencies for efficiently
undertaking search and rescue in the Indian Search and Rescue Region.
The meeting also focusedupon various safety issues for small fishing
craft and sailing vessels, non-registration of beacons, inadvertent
activation of distress alerts, enactment of national SAR legislation
etc.
Indian Coast Guard, being the nodal agency for Maritime Search and
Rescue, has rescued a total of 5481 lives by coordinating 1684 Search
and Rescue missions by conducting 1504air sorties and 1574 ship sorties,
since inception. During the last one year, a total of 464 precious
lives were saved, out of which 207 lives were rescued by Indian Coast
Guard independently and remaining 257 lives were saved in coordination
with fishermen, merchant mariners and other resource agencies. The Board
commended the contribution of merchant mariners and fishermen towards
saving lives in distress at sea.
Every year, the NMSAR Board recognizes the SAR efforts of merchant
mariners, Govt owned vessels and fishermen. MSV “Safeena” from A&N
Islands was awarded the Indian Coast Guard SAR Award for Merchant Vessel
for saving 09 precious lives. Indian Coast Guard SAR Award for
Fishermen was awarded to Fishing Boat Seven Star from Kolachal in Tamil
Nadu for saving four lives of foreign nationals. The Essar SAR Award
for Government Owned SAR Unit, was awarded to Coast Guard Air Squadron
842 Squadron (CG), Mumbai, for saving 15 precious lives from a sinking
ship.
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