VASCO
Emphasising the need for pollution control vessels, Director General Indian Coast Guard V S Pathania has said the Coast Guard has three ships for pollution control in its fleet and is likely to have two more ships by the next six months.
“We have five regional headquarters in which three headquarters have assigned their pollution control ship and once the other two ships are ready, the remaining two headquarters will have their own ship and our reach of containment and oil spill preparedness will reach Andaman as well,” said Pathania.
He was speaking to reporters along the sidelines of a two-day event National Level Pollution Response Exercise (NATPOLREX) off the Mormugao port.
Pathania, who is also the Chairman, of NOSDCP and the Competent National Authority for marine pollution at sea, reviewed the preparedness and readiness of oil handling agencies and oil spill response organisation. The Indian Coast Guard being a central coordinating agency, has conducted various exercises at sea.
"While we earlier used to have a single-engine helicopter, we now have advanced aircraft. We also have other countries wanting to join us in our exercise and we invite them in these workshops and exercise with them because an oil spill in the neighbourhood country can affect us as well.”
“We already have the national oil spill disaster plan in India but we also need to have a regional contingency plan and once this happens, all the countries interacting with us can also contribute and it is good for the Indian Ocean,” said Pathania.
He informed that the Coast Guard had a tabletop exercise with 29 foreign observers from 22 different countries on Tuesday, where they had decided on a plan and Wednesday, the same mock drill plan of an accident on an oil tanker and an oil spill was practically demonstrated.
“Besides, we also have programmes like friends of the seas where we invite various organisations and even students to carry out a cleanliness drive on the beach to collect polythene and plastic and prevent it from entering the seas.”
“We have plans to have various community programmes and interactions to sensitise people for cleanliness drives with the theme of plastic-free seas," he added.
Vessels must not spill waste oil, bilge water into sea: Pathania
VASCO:
Director General Indian Coast Guard V S Pathania has stated that vessels must have the consciousness to not spill any waste oil or bilge water in the sea even if they are very far away.
“Ships are now gearing up as they have oily bilge water separator on board. Tarballs are formed not by an immediate oil spill or even an oil spill reported six months earlier but could be caused by the oil that has been on the sea surface for many years.”
“Whenever the sea gets rough, these tarballs get pushed on the shores,” said Pathania.
