VASCO
The Coast Guard and Indian Navy are mulling the construction of a 350-mtr jetty west of the breakwater.
Coast Guard DIG (Goa region) Manoj Baadkar said a proposal to this effect is in the pipeline, while speaking along the sidelines of the 41st Raising Day celebrations of Indian Coast Guard in Mormugao on Thursday morning.
“There is a proposal where the Coast Guard and Indian Navy may look to construct a 350 mtr jetty west of the Breakwater. It is in an initial stage where a board is being formed and it will be jointly looked after Navy and the Coast Guard,” said Baadkar.
Baadkar recalled that 41 years ago, the central government had set up the Coast Guard with a few ships from the Navy. “Today, the Coast Guard has emerged as the fourth biggest coast guard force in the world,” he said.
“Five years ago in Goa, we had only two ships, but today we have six ships, one air squadron and 275 mtrs berth at MPT.”
“The Coast Guard has saved around 950 lives at sea last year and around 450 lives of fishermen during cyclone Ockhi. Besides saving lives, the Coast Guard is also active in pollution control at sea and also protecting the Exclusive Economic Zone 200 nautical miles outside the coast in the sea,” Baadkar added.
