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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the new Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) building in Chennai. Following the inauguration of the MRCC, he also dedicated the Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre, located at the Chennai Port premises, and the Coast Guard Air Enclave in Puducherry.
The Indian Coast Guard’s mission to ensure zero life loss at sea, tighten maritime security, and to protect the oceans and marine life, received a boost, as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated three new facilities in Chennai and Puducherry.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the new Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) building in Chennai. Following the inauguration of the MRCC, he also dedicated the Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre, located at the Chennai Port premises, and the Coast Guard Air Enclave in Puducherry.
Senior officers of Ministry of Defence, ICG & Armed Forces, dignitaries from State governments, and guests from friendly countries attended the event.
Maritime Rescue Coordination Centr(MRCC, Chennai)
This state-of-the-art facility aims to significantly enhance the coordination and effectiveness of maritime rescue operations. It serves as a 24/7 control centre that monitors distress alerts, weather systems, and coordinates with ICG air and sea assets, commercial ships, fishers etc. It underscores the Indian Government’s resolve to protect lives and ensure a swift response in critical situations.
#Chennai Maritime Rescue Coordination Center(MRCC)..This is a@IndiaCoastGuard control room to monitor all vessels(large, small, fishers) at sea
In case of distress, it is reported to MRCC and they deploy ICG ships/helo/plane, or request nearby vessels for help, offer rapid aid pic.twitter.com/sglB3gyvmw
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) August 18, 2024
The MRCC is installed with latest equipment for distress monitoring through terrestrial & satellite systems and equipped with advanced communication systems for real-time management of alerts by highly trained personnel of ICG specialising in Search & Rescue procedures, with rescue aircraft, ships and other facilities.
Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre (RMPRC)
This is a first-of-its-kind facility for coordinating response against marine pollution, particularly oil and chemical pollution, in waters adjoining the coastal states in the Indian Ocean Region. The creation of this centre was first announced by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh during the maiden Indo-ASEAN meeting held in Cambodia on November 22, 2022.
The setting-up of this centre was spearheaded by Coast Guard Regional Headquarters East at its premises within Chennai Port. It has an Emergency Response Centre, which will be staffed 24×7 by ICG personnel to monitor marine oil pollution incidents. The Centre will also impart training in pollution response techniques to various organisations, such as ports, oil handling agencies, government organisations and private participants. It will also train personnel from friendly countries in combating oil pollution at sea.
Coast Guard Air Enclave, Puducherry
This facility marks a significant milestone for ICG and will play a vital role in maritime security along the Puducherry and South Tamil Nadu coast. The Air Enclave will be equipped with Chetak and Advanced Light Helicopter Squadrons. Both these helicopters are indigenously built and capable of undertaking maritime patrol, search & rescue, and other such missions both from land as well as from Coast Guard ships patrolling at sea.
So far, the ICG has been operating its Dornier-228, ALH Mk3 and Chetak helicopters from the Coast Guard Air Enclave within the Chennai airport and from their vessels at sea. The new Air Enclave at Puducherry, around 150 km south of Chennai, will further enhance the ICG’s reach and response time
Sidharth MP
The author is Chennai-based reporter with Wion
