Sri Lankan Navy on Friday said that it had plugged the fuel leak on MT New Diamond, the oil tanker that was on fire for almost a week. The fire was doused on Wednesday by Indian Navy and Sri Lankan Navy. On Friday, Sri Lankan military divers fixed the fuel leak from the engine of the oil tanker.

Sri Lankan Navy and Indian Coast Guard both have said that there was no oil spill from the oil cargo of the ship. However, fuel of the ship was leaking from a fuel tank and created a two-kilometre long trail in the ocean. This trail was visible even from the air.

The fuel was seeping into the water through damaged pipes connected to a ballast water intake on the ship's starboard side, according to a navy statement.

Dutch salvage company SMIT said its experts had boarded the crippled vessel and found the 270,000-tonne crude oil cargo unaffected by the fire.

"The cargo tanks with the crude are intact," the firm told AFP in The Hague on Friday. "Discussions are ongoing on the destination of the vessel to transfer the crude."

Sri Lanka's environmental authorities fear a marine disaster if the tanker is allowed to transfer its oil to another ship in the country's waters.

Sri Lanka has asked the ship's owners to tow it away from the country's exclusive economic zone, or 370 kilometres (231 miles) from its coast.

MT New Diamond is a Greek-owned ship that was chartered by Indian Oil. It was hauling crude oil from Kuwait to Paradip in Odisha. The fire at the ship started because of a blast in the ship's engine room on September 3. Joint efforts by Indian and Sri Lankan Navy brought the fire under control but it reignited on September 7. Firefighting efforts ensured that the fire was completely doused on September 9.

Sri Lankan Navy on Friday said that it had plugged the fuel leak on MT New Diamond, the oil tanker that was on fire for almost a week. The fire was doused on Wednesday by Indian Navy and Sri Lankan Navy.

Sri Lankan Navy on Friday said that it had plugged the fuel leak on MT New Diamond, the oil tanker that was on fire for almost a week. The fire was doused on Wednesday by Indian Navy and Sri Lankan Navy. On Friday, Sri Lankan military divers fixed the fuel leak from the engine of the oil tanker. Sri Lankan Navy and Indian Coast Guard both have said that there was no oil spill from the oil cargo of the ship. However, fuel of the ship was leaking from a fuel tank and created a two-kilometre long trail in the ocean. This trail was visible even from the air. The fuel was seeping into the water through damaged pipes connected to a ballast water intake on the ship's starboard side, according to a navy statement. Dutch salvage company SMIT said its experts had boarded the crippled vessel and found the 270,000-tonne crude oil cargo unaffected by the fire. "The cargo tanks with the crude are intact," the firm told AFP in The Hague on Friday. "Discussions are ongoing on the destination of the vessel to transfer the crude." Sri Lanka's environmental authorities fear a marine disaster if the tanker is allowed to transfer its oil to another ship in the country's waters. Sri Lanka has asked the ship's owners to tow it away from the country's exclusive economic zone, or 370 kilometres (231 miles) from its coast. MT New Diamond is a Greek-owned ship that was chartered by Indian Oil. It was hauling crude oil from Kuwait to Paradip in Odisha. The fire at the ship started because of a blast in the ship's engine room on September 3. Joint efforts by Indian and Sri Lankan Navy brought the fire under control but it reignited on September 7. Firefighting efforts ensured that the fire was completely doused on September 9.

Sri Lanka Navy plugs fuel leak on the fire-hit oil tanker

The fire that was raging on the mammoth oil tanker floating in Indian Ocean has been doused. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday said that there was no oil spill in the Indian Ocean. ICG on Thursday tweeted and said 22 lives were saved as the firefighting operation went on for last 6 days. ICG attributed the success to a fast, swift and professional firefighting.

"Swift Prompt &amp; Professional #FireFighting over period of 06 days by #ICG doused raging fire in mammoth 333m ship without any oil spill averting major disaster. Efficient #SAR coordination ensured 22 lives saved. #ICG ships standby in Pollution Resp configuration," tweeted Indian Coast Guard.

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Swift Prompt &amp; Professional <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FireFighting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FireFighting</a> over period of 06 days by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICG</a> doused raging fire in mammoth 333m ship without any oil spill averting major disaster. Efficient <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAR</a> coordination ensured 22 lives saved. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICG</a> ships standby in Pollution Resp configuration <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceMinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DefenceMinIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/iMzMve9MuD">pic.twitter.com/iMzMve9MuD</a>
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaCoastGuard/status/1304071346054287363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The oil tanker MT New Diamond carrying about 3,00,000 tonnes of crude oil caught fire on September 3 after an explosion in its engines room. The oil tanker was 37 nautical miles off Sri Lankan coast at the time.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-coast-guard-rescues-9-fishermen-boat-drifts-in-sri-lankan-waters-326705">Indian Coast Guard rescues 9 fishermen, boat drifts in Sri Lankan waters</a>

A firefighting operation was launched together by Sri Lanka and India after Sri Lanka requested assistance in dousing the fire.

The fire, which was brought under control reignited on Monday. However, even those flames were extinguished on Wednesday.

The fire that was raging on the mammoth oil tanker floating in Indian Ocean has been doused. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday said that there was no oil spill in the Indian Ocean.

The fire that was raging on the mammoth oil tanker floating in Indian Ocean has been doused. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday said that there was no oil spill in the Indian Ocean. ICG on Thursday tweeted and said 22 lives were saved as the firefighting operation went on for last 6 days. ICG attributed the success to a fast, swift and professional firefighting. "Swift Prompt & Professional #FireFighting over period of 06 days by #ICG doused raging fire in mammoth 333m ship without any oil spill averting major disaster. Efficient #SAR coordination ensured 22 lives saved. #ICG ships standby in Pollution Resp configuration," tweeted Indian Coast Guard. Swift Prompt & Professional #FireFighting over period of 06 days by #ICG doused raging fire in mammoth 333m ship without any oil spill averting major disaster. Efficient #SAR coordination ensured 22 lives saved. #ICG ships standby in Pollution Resp configuration @DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/iMzMve9MuD — Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 10, 2020 × The oil tanker MT New Diamond carrying about 3,00,000 tonnes of crude oil caught fire on September 3 after an explosion in its engines room. The oil tanker was 37 nautical miles off Sri Lankan coast at the time. Also Read | Indian Coast Guard rescues 9 fishermen, boat drifts in Sri Lankan waters A firefighting operation was launched together by Sri Lanka and India after Sri Lanka requested assistance in dousing the fire. The fire, which was brought under control reignited on Monday. However, even those flames were extinguished on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka oil tanker fire: There is no oil spill, says Indian Coast Guard

Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vaibhav rescued nine fishermen of IFB Jeraldon-2, a fishing boat, that was stranded about 75 nautical miles(139 kms) south-east of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu due to engine failure. The information regarding stranded fishing boat and distressed crew was received by Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC).&nbsp;

The boat was reportedly drifting at sea due to engine failure and was facing the vagaries of the ocean. Owing to strong winds and currents, the fishing boat drifted further into the Sri Lankan waters.&nbsp;

ICGS Vaibhav rushed to the area and undertook a thorough search. Subsequently communication was established with the boat, which was approximately 25 nautical miles(46 kms) across the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).&nbsp;

Continuous communication was maintained with the fisheries department, Tuticorin and the boat owner during the entire operation.&nbsp;

ICGS Vaibhav towed the boat and handed her (Jeraldon-2) along with her nine crew to another fishing boat which was deployed by the owner for assistance. The safe handover took place about 10 nautical miles inside the Indian waters, on Thursday evening.&nbsp;

Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vaibhav rescued nine fishermen of IFB Jeraldon-2, a fishing boat, that was stranded about 75 nautical miles(139 kms) south-east of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu due to engine failure.

Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vaibhav rescued nine fishermen of IFB Jeraldon-2, a fishing boat, that was stranded about 75 nautical miles(139 kms) south-east of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu due to engine failure. The information regarding stranded fishing boat and distressed crew was received by Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC). The boat was reportedly drifting at sea due to engine failure and was facing the vagaries of the ocean. Owing to strong winds and currents, the fishing boat drifted further into the Sri Lankan waters. ICGS Vaibhav rushed to the area and undertook a thorough search. Subsequently communication was established with the boat, which was approximately 25 nautical miles(46 kms) across the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Continuous communication was maintained with the fisheries department, Tuticorin and the boat owner during the entire operation. ICGS Vaibhav towed the boat and handed her (Jeraldon-2) along with her nine crew to another fishing boat which was deployed by the owner for assistance. The safe handover took place about 10 nautical miles inside the Indian waters, on Thursday evening.

Indian Coast Guard rescues 9 fishermen, boat drifts in Sri Lankan waters

The Indian Coast guard (ICG) has allayed fears of a possible oil leak at the site of the MT New Diamond, 40 miles off the Sri Lankan Coast. The latest statement from the ICG says that a team of naval architects that boarded the oil tanker on Wednesday, has found the vessel’s stability to be in the safe zone and there is no breach of its tanks. In an improvement from the situation that persisted on Tuesday, there are currently no hotspots, flames/smoke on-board.&nbsp;

However, the rear portion of the vessel (aft) has sunken into the water by 1 metre, a slight increase from its earlier position of 3 feet. Efforts are underway to get the ship on even keel with the assistance of the salvors.

The Coast guard has also officially confirmed that the minor oil sheen sighted near aft (rear) of MT New Diamond on Tuesday, was part of the unburnt oil/ Oil mixed with water, in the ship’s engine room. This region of the ship had been spared from the explosion onboard on Monday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/oil-slick-near-mt-new-diamond-is-from-explosion-not-cargo-hold-sources-326255">WION had earlier reported</a> that the oil slick was from the explosion and not from the cargo hold.&nbsp;

In Pollution Response configuration, ICG Dornier aircraft sprayed Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD) to disintegrate the sheen on Tuesday and Wednesday. The ships were used to churn the waters to accelerate the disintegration of the oil sheen.

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“The three lakh metric tonnes cargo of Kuwait crude being carried by the vessel is intact, not a drop of it has leaked. Our ships are equipped and prepared to even contain and perform recovery operations even in the event of an unfortunate spill” Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard said. He expressed hope that the Coast guard would be able to recover the entire cargo and create maritime history, as they had done earlier in 2016, at the Gulf of Kutch.&nbsp;

Speaking of the challenges involved in the current operation he said that the ships and tugs are required to maintain a 10-15 meter distance from the burning vessel to remain safe, adding that the vessels had to simultaneously douse the fire and cool different parts of the ship.&nbsp;

“There is a breach on the port side of the superstructure and the hull and the crack on the deck above the waterline. However, these breaches are not causing any entry of seawater” DG, Coast Guard added.

Currently, 7 ICG vessels are on site to aid in the phase 2 operations in the recovery of MT new Diamond, as phase 1(fire-fighting) is said to have ended. ICG has been at the forefront of this operation since Thursday, September 3rd. 
&nbsp;

The Indian Coast guard (ICG) has allayed fears of a possible oil leak at the site of the MT New Diamond, 40 miles off the Sri Lankan Coast. The latest statement from the ICG says that a team of naval architects that boarded the oil tanker on Wednesday, has found the vessel’s stability to be in the safe zone and there is no breach of its tanks.

The Indian Coast guard (ICG) has allayed fears of a possible oil leak at the site of the MT New Diamond, 40 miles off the Sri Lankan Coast. The latest statement from the ICG says that a team of naval architects that boarded the oil tanker on Wednesday, has found the vessel’s stability to be in the safe zone and there is no breach of its tanks. In an improvement from the situation that persisted on Tuesday, there are currently no hotspots, flames/smoke on-board. However, the rear portion of the vessel (aft) has sunken into the water by 1 metre, a slight increase from its earlier position of 3 feet. Efforts are underway to get the ship on even keel with the assistance of the salvors. The Coast guard has also officially confirmed that the minor oil sheen sighted near aft (rear) of MT New Diamond on Tuesday, was part of the unburnt oil/ Oil mixed with water, in the ship’s engine room. This region of the ship had been spared from the explosion onboard on Monday. WION had earlier reported that the oil slick was from the explosion and not from the cargo hold. In Pollution Response configuration, ICG Dornier aircraft sprayed Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD) to disintegrate the sheen on Tuesday and Wednesday. The ships were used to churn the waters to accelerate the disintegration of the oil sheen. × “The three lakh metric tonnes cargo of Kuwait crude being carried by the vessel is intact, not a drop of it has leaked. Our ships are equipped and prepared to even contain and perform recovery operations even in the event of an unfortunate spill” Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard said. He expressed hope that the Coast guard would be able to recover the entire cargo and create maritime history, as they had done earlier in 2016, at the Gulf of Kutch. Speaking of the challenges involved in the current operation he said that the ships and tugs are required to maintain a 10-15 meter distance from the burning vessel to remain safe, adding that the vessels had to simultaneously douse the fire and cool different parts of the ship. “There is a breach on the port side of the superstructure and the hull and the crack on the deck above the waterline. However, these breaches are not causing any entry of seawater” DG, Coast Guard added. Currently, 7 ICG vessels are on site to aid in the phase 2 operations in the recovery of MT new Diamond, as phase 1(fire-fighting) is said to have ended. ICG has been at the forefront of this operation since Thursday, September 3rd.

Not a drop of oil leak into sea from MT New diamond cargo hold, says Director General of Indian Coast Guard

In a Joint Search &amp; Rescue Operation, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships and aircraft rescued 24 distressed fishermen amidst adverse weather conditions off the Kerala coast. The operation was conducted by the ICG, Marine Enforcement Wing and Coastal Security Police in coordination with the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre Kochi.&nbsp;

Due to the inclement weather off the Kerala coast since Sunday, 14 fishing boats with 55 fishermen were reported to be in distress. Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft were pressed in to Search and Rescue (SAR) mission despite&nbsp;&nbsp;rough weather conditions. Timely action in alerting the fishing boats in vicinity resulted in the rescue of 24 fishermen and a lookout is on for the remaining 31 fishermen.

The missing fishing boats are from Ponnani, Kayamkulam, Alappuzha, Munambam and Azhikode harbours of Kerala. Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft and Chetak Helicopter alongwith Coast Guard ship ICGS Samar, ICGS Vikram, ICGS Aryaman and interceptor boat C-144 are undertaking extensive sea-air coordinated search at sea.&nbsp;

Further, electronic surveillance of area is being maintained through Coastal Surveillance Network to shepherd fishing boats in area to safer locations and regular weather advisory is also being transmitted. Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (Mumbai) has also alerted all ships in vicinity to maintain lookout and render assistance to the distressed fishing boats.

In a Joint Search & Rescue Operation, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships and aircraft rescued 24 distressed fishermen amidst adverse weather conditions off the Kerala coast.

In a Joint Search & Rescue Operation, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships and aircraft rescued 24 distressed fishermen amidst adverse weather conditions off the Kerala coast. The operation was conducted by the ICG, Marine Enforcement Wing and Coastal Security Police in coordination with the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre Kochi. Due to the inclement weather off the Kerala coast since Sunday, 14 fishing boats with 55 fishermen were reported to be in distress. Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft were pressed in to Search and Rescue (SAR) mission despite rough weather conditions. Timely action in alerting the fishing boats in vicinity resulted in the rescue of 24 fishermen and a lookout is on for the remaining 31 fishermen. The missing fishing boats are from Ponnani, Kayamkulam, Alappuzha, Munambam and Azhikode harbours of Kerala. Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft and Chetak Helicopter alongwith Coast Guard ship ICGS Samar, ICGS Vikram, ICGS Aryaman and interceptor boat C-144 are undertaking extensive sea-air coordinated search at sea. Further, electronic surveillance of area is being maintained through Coastal Surveillance Network to shepherd fishing boats in area to safer locations and regular weather advisory is also being transmitted. Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (Mumbai) has also alerted all ships in vicinity to maintain lookout and render assistance to the distressed fishing boats.

Indian Coast Guard rescues 24 distressed fishermen off Kerala Coast; search on for 31 others

Fire at MT New Diamond is under control and the oil tanker that has been on fire since Thursday afternoon, is currently being held in position by a tug boast 42 miles from the Sri Lankan Coast. This is being done to prevent the drifting of the vessel towards the shore and to facilitate fire-fighting operations with logistical ease. Six vessels from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), their helicopters, two Dornier aircrafts and one warship of the Indian Navy are on location to undertake this mammoth effort. No oil spill has been so far reported and fire is localised.

Response ship Samudra Paheredar arrived at the scene of incident on Sunday afternoon and joined the fire fighting operation. The ship is equipped with Ocean Boom, 4 Oil Skimmers and oil spill dispersant to handle pollution response in event of an oil slick.

ICG Ships Sujay, Shaurya, Sarang and pollution response vessel Samudra Paheredar are continuously engaged in fire fighting operation on rotation using specialised external fire fighting systems. ICG fast patrol vessels Ameya and Abheek are in close vicinity to offer assistance as required. Both these vessels are equipped with aqueous film forming foam concentrate (AFFF), dry chemical powder and oil spill dispersants.

Besides this, Sri Lankan Ships Samudra, Udara, SLCGS Samaraksha, SLCGS Samudra Raksha, SLN FACs P 462 and 464 alongwith INS Sahyadri are in the area.

Indian Coast Guard's Dornier aircrafts are performing morning and evening sorties from Mattala International Airport, Sri Lanka, for aerial assessment. Coast Guard helicopters that are on the ships are also being launched regularly for aerial assessment, planning the further course of action.

Sri Lankan Air Force is carrying out aerial recce with the help of Beachcraft planes. Water is being sprayed by MI-17 helicopter via Bambi Bucket.

The inertness of cargo is being maintained with sustained fire fighting operations. While no oil spill has been reported, fire remains localised and cargo hold is reported to be safe. Fire appears to be doused and no flame and smoke is visible. Continuous boundary cooling is in progress using AFFF and water spraying. No further increase in the crack or any significant change in trim or list has been observed.

Indian authorities are in continuously in co-ordination with Sri Lankan Navy/Coast Guard and other authorities for augmentation and effective response.

MT New Diamond is a very large crude carrier. It is a Greek-owned vessel and is under charter by Indian Oil.

The ship caught fire after a major explosion in its engine room on September 3.

The first information about the vessel being on fire was received at Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai.

MT New Diamond is reportedly carrying more that 2.7 lakh MT Kuwait export crude oil that was destined for Paradip, Odisha. According to Marinetraffic.com, MT New Diamond is a 20-year old Crude oil tanker that is 333 meters long and 60 meters wide.

Fire at MT New Diamond is under control and the oil tanker that has been on fire since Thursday afternoon, is currently being held in position by a tug boast 42 miles from the Sri Lankan Coast.

Fire at MT New Diamond is under control and the oil tanker that has been on fire since Thursday afternoon, is currently being held in position by a tug boast 42 miles from the Sri Lankan Coast. This is being done to prevent the drifting of the vessel towards the shore and to facilitate fire-fighting operations with logistical ease. Six vessels from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), their helicopters, two Dornier aircrafts and one warship of the Indian Navy are on location to undertake this mammoth effort. No oil spill has been so far reported and fire is localised. Response ship Samudra Paheredar arrived at the scene of incident on Sunday afternoon and joined the fire fighting operation. The ship is equipped with Ocean Boom, 4 Oil Skimmers and oil spill dispersant to handle pollution response in event of an oil slick. ICG Ships Sujay, Shaurya, Sarang and pollution response vessel Samudra Paheredar are continuously engaged in fire fighting operation on rotation using specialised external fire fighting systems. ICG fast patrol vessels Ameya and Abheek are in close vicinity to offer assistance as required. Both these vessels are equipped with aqueous film forming foam concentrate (AFFF), dry chemical powder and oil spill dispersants. Besides this, Sri Lankan Ships Samudra, Udara, SLCGS Samaraksha, SLCGS Samudra Raksha, SLN FACs P 462 and 464 alongwith INS Sahyadri are in the area. Indian Coast Guard's Dornier aircrafts are performing morning and evening sorties from Mattala International Airport, Sri Lanka, for aerial assessment. Coast Guard helicopters that are on the ships are also being launched regularly for aerial assessment, planning the further course of action. Sri Lankan Air Force is carrying out aerial recce with the help of Beachcraft planes. Water is being sprayed by MI-17 helicopter via Bambi Bucket. The inertness of cargo is being maintained with sustained fire fighting operations. While no oil spill has been reported, fire remains localised and cargo hold is reported to be safe. Fire appears to be doused and no flame and smoke is visible. Continuous boundary cooling is in progress using AFFF and water spraying. No further increase in the crack or any significant change in trim or list has been observed. Indian authorities are in continuously in co-ordination with Sri Lankan Navy/Coast Guard and other authorities for augmentation and effective response. MT New Diamond is a very large crude carrier. It is a Greek-owned vessel and is under charter by Indian Oil. The ship caught fire after a major explosion in its engine room on September 3. The first information about the vessel being on fire was received at Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai. MT New Diamond is reportedly carrying more that 2.7 lakh MT Kuwait export crude oil that was destined for Paradip, Odisha. According to Marinetraffic.com, MT New Diamond is a 20-year old Crude oil tanker that is 333 meters long and 60 meters wide.

Sri Lanka oil tanker fire: No oil spill, boundary cooling operation in progress

Indian Coast Guard on Saturday tweeted that firefighting to put out the fire at oil tanker MT New Diamond was still on. The Coast Guard added that there was 'no oil slick'. The oil tanker ship contains around 300,000 tonnes of crude oil and an oil spill would be disastrous.

Both, Indian Coast Guard and Sri Lankan Navy are undertaking joint efforts to put out the flames. The oil tanker has been towed further away from Sri Lankan coast into safe waters.

"#ICG &amp; Sri Lankan ships and aircraft alongwith tug ALP Winger after consolidated efforts successfully towed &nbsp; #MTNewDiamond more than 35 NM away from &nbsp;#SriLanka coast to safe waters. #FireFighting continues and fire now reduced. No oil slick reported," Indian Coast Guard tweeted.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICG</a> &amp; Sri Lankan ships and aircraft alongwith tug ALP Winger after consolidated efforts successfully towed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTNewDiamond?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTNewDiamond</a> more than 35 NM away from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SriLanka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SriLanka</a> coast to safe waters. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FireFighting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FireFighting</a> continues and fire now reduced. No oil slick reported. <a href="https://t.co/bvbnd1fLtw">pic.twitter.com/bvbnd1fLtw</a>
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaCoastGuard/status/1302061752465502210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

On Friday, there was a positive development as the rescue ships were able to douse the fire at crew accommodation area of the oil tanker. 22 of the 23 crew members have been rescued and search is on for 1 Filipino crew member who is missing.

Also Read: <a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/sri-lanka-gazettes-constitution-amendment-draft-that-proposes-legal-immunity-for-president-325157">Sri Lanka gazettes Constitution Amendment draft that proposes legal immunity for president</a>

Coast Guard prepares for an oil spill:

Although it has said that there was no oil slick as of now, Indian Coast Guard is preparing for all eventualities. Coast Guard aircrafts with pollution control spray pods and oil spill dispersants have been mobilised. The coast guard has also pressed more ships with pollution control equipments into the firefight.

Pollution response teams of Indian Coast Guard are on standby as well. 
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Indian Coast Guard on Saturday tweeted that firefighting to put out the fire at oil tanker MT New Diamond was still on. The Coast Guard added that there was 'no oil slick'.

Indian Coast Guard on Saturday tweeted that firefighting to put out the fire at oil tanker MT New Diamond was still on. The Coast Guard added that there was 'no oil slick'. The oil tanker ship contains around 300,000 tonnes of crude oil and an oil spill would be disastrous. Both, Indian Coast Guard and Sri Lankan Navy are undertaking joint efforts to put out the flames. The oil tanker has been towed further away from Sri Lankan coast into safe waters. "#ICG & Sri Lankan ships and aircraft alongwith tug ALP Winger after consolidated efforts successfully towed #MTNewDiamond more than 35 NM away from #SriLanka coast to safe waters. #FireFighting continues and fire now reduced. No oil slick reported," Indian Coast Guard tweeted. #ICG & Sri Lankan ships and aircraft alongwith tug ALP Winger after consolidated efforts successfully towed #MTNewDiamond more than 35 NM away from #SriLanka coast to safe waters. #FireFighting continues and fire now reduced. No oil slick reported. pic.twitter.com/bvbnd1fLtw — Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 5, 2020 × On Friday, there was a positive development as the rescue ships were able to douse the fire at crew accommodation area of the oil tanker. 22 of the 23 crew members have been rescued and search is on for 1 Filipino crew member who is missing. Also Read: Sri Lanka gazettes Constitution Amendment draft that proposes legal immunity for president Coast Guard prepares for an oil spill: Although it has said that there was no oil slick as of now, Indian Coast Guard is preparing for all eventualities. Coast Guard aircrafts with pollution control spray pods and oil spill dispersants have been mobilised. The coast guard has also pressed more ships with pollution control equipments into the firefight. Pollution response teams of Indian Coast Guard are on standby as well.

Sri Lanka oil tanker fire: Firefighting continues, tweets Indian Coast Guard

Positive news came in from off the coast of Sri Lanka as Indian Coast Guard was able to douse fire in the accommodation area of the oil tanker ship that caught fire on Thursday. The tanker MT New Diamond is still on fire but Indian Coast Guard has kept on its efforts to bring the flames under control.

The Panama flagged ship caught fire as it was hauling crude oil from Kuwait to India. The ship was bound for Paradip in Odisha when fire started in its engine room. The ship was in waters off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.

Indian Coast Guard said that 22 out of 23 crewmen had been rescued and there was no oil spill.

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Concerted joint <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAR</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FireFighting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FireFighting</a> efforts by ICG Ships, SL Navy &amp; tugs resulted in rescue of 22 out of 23 crew safely. Search for 01 missing crew (Filipino) in progress. No oil spill reported in area. 02 Emergency Towing Vessels being deployed by GoI for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTNewDiamond?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTNewDiamond</a>. <a href="https://t.co/bjqMsQkio9">pic.twitter.com/bjqMsQkio9</a>
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaCoastGuard/status/1301774176131280897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The ship was carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil when the fire started

As per the last report, one person from the ship's 23 crew members was missing. Another is injured.

According to the Sri Lankan Navy Spokesperson, at least four ships had been dispatched.

Sri Lankan Navy requested assistance from Indian Navy to bring the flames under control.

The Indian Coast Guard also pressed into action three of its ships and a Dornier aircraft after the Sri Lankan Navy sought assistance to control the fire onboard the oil tanker.

In a swift sea and air coordinated Search and Rescue (SAR) operation, the Coast Guard said it immediately diverted ICG Ships Shaurya, Sarang and Samudra Paheredar, besides a Dornier aircraft for the firefight on the oil tanker.

Two Russian anti-submarine warfare ships which were anchored at Hambantota Port since August 31 were also dispatched to the area to douse the fire, the spokesperson said. 
&nbsp;

Positive news came in from off the coast of Sri Lanka as Indian Coast Guard was able to douse fire in the accommodation area of the oil tanker ship that caught fire on Thursday.

Positive news came in from off the coast of Sri Lanka as Indian Coast Guard was able to douse fire in the accommodation area of the oil tanker ship that caught fire on Thursday. The tanker MT New Diamond is still on fire but Indian Coast Guard has kept on its efforts to bring the flames under control. The Panama flagged ship caught fire as it was hauling crude oil from Kuwait to India. The ship was bound for Paradip in Odisha when fire started in its engine room. The ship was in waters off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. Indian Coast Guard said that 22 out of 23 crewmen had been rescued and there was no oil spill. Concerted joint #SAR & #FireFighting efforts by ICG Ships, SL Navy & tugs resulted in rescue of 22 out of 23 crew safely. Search for 01 missing crew (Filipino) in progress. No oil spill reported in area. 02 Emergency Towing Vessels being deployed by GoI for #MTNewDiamond. pic.twitter.com/bjqMsQkio9 — Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 4, 2020 × The ship was carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil when the fire started As per the last report, one person from the ship's 23 crew members was missing. Another is injured. According to the Sri Lankan Navy Spokesperson, at least four ships had been dispatched. Sri Lankan Navy requested assistance from Indian Navy to bring the flames under control. The Indian Coast Guard also pressed into action three of its ships and a Dornier aircraft after the Sri Lankan Navy sought assistance to control the fire onboard the oil tanker. In a swift sea and air coordinated Search and Rescue (SAR) operation, the Coast Guard said it immediately diverted ICG Ships Shaurya, Sarang and Samudra Paheredar, besides a Dornier aircraft for the firefight on the oil tanker. Two Russian anti-submarine warfare ships which were anchored at Hambantota Port since August 31 were also dispatched to the area to douse the fire, the spokesperson said.

Sri Lanka Oil Tanker Fire: Indian Coast Guard douses flames in accommodation area, firefighting on

Three Indian Coast Guard ships are headed for the Central-eastern Sri Lankan coast to help fight a fire on-board MT New Diamond, a Panama-flagged oil tanker.

Your Story: Indian Coast Guard ships en route Sri Lankan coast for firefighting | South Asia

The Indian Coast Guard has commissioned Interceptor boat C-449, a 27.80 meters long vessel with a displacement of 105 tons. The induction of this ship is a part of ongoing efforts of the Coast Guard to strengthen Maritime &amp; Coastal Security along the Coasts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh. The ship will not only strengthen the security umbrella of the East Coast but also help augment patrolling to prevent illicit activities at sea.

K Shanmugam, Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu commissioned the vessel in the presence of minimal dignitaries while following all protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The vessel C-449 is Forty-Ninth amongst the Fifty Four in its series being indigenously designed and built by M/s Larsen and Toubro Ltd, Hazira (Surat). &nbsp;This commissioning ceremony is said to be first in-person (as opposed to virtual) Coast Guard ceremony since the outbreak of COVID-19.&nbsp;

<img alt="n " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a94e2c6-fabb-4802-bcb0-be500ba4c436" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%288%29_35.jpg" />

With its top speed of 45knots (85kmph) and advanced navigation &amp; communication equipment, coupled with modern systems, the vessel is undertaking multifarious tasks including Surveillance, Interdiction, Search and Rescue, in addition to assisting boats and crafts in distress at sea.

“In the East Region, C-449 will be the 10th vessel in the Interceptor boat category. Currently we have eight Offshore Patrol Vessels(OPV) and 15 fast patrol vessels, besides 5 Dornier aircraft and 3 Chetak helicopters. At the pan-India level, the Coast Guard has about five interceptor boats and seven OPVs in the pipeline” S. Paramesh, Inspector General, Coast Guard East Region told WION.&nbsp;

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The ship is commanded by Assistant Commandant Ashish Sharma and will be based at Krishnapatnam under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No. 6, Visakhapatnam.&nbsp;

The Indian Coast Guard currently operates over 150 surface platforms and more than 60 aircraft.&nbsp;

K Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard had earlier said: “Our Coast Guard stands larger than many navies in the world and we further plan to boost our assets to 200 vessels and 100 aircraft by 2025. We also have bilateral and multilateral agreements with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives etc. Daily we deploy 30-40 ships and 10-12 aircraft for surveillance and in the last decade we have saved over 10,000 lives, in over 3100 missions against the fury of nature.”

The Indian Coast Guard has commissioned Interceptor boat C-449, a 27.80 meters long vessel with a displacement of 105 tons. The induction of this ship is a part of ongoing efforts of the Coast Guard to strengthen Maritime & Coastal Security along the Coasts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.

The Indian Coast Guard has commissioned Interceptor boat C-449, a 27.80 meters long vessel with a displacement of 105 tons. The induction of this ship is a part of ongoing efforts of the Coast Guard to strengthen Maritime & Coastal Security along the Coasts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh. The ship will not only strengthen the security umbrella of the East Coast but also help augment patrolling to prevent illicit activities at sea. K Shanmugam, Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu commissioned the vessel in the presence of minimal dignitaries while following all protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The vessel C-449 is Forty-Ninth amongst the Fifty Four in its series being indigenously designed and built by M/s Larsen and Toubro Ltd, Hazira (Surat). This commissioning ceremony is said to be first in-person (as opposed to virtual) Coast Guard ceremony since the outbreak of COVID-19. With its top speed of 45knots (85kmph) and advanced navigation & communication equipment, coupled with modern systems, the vessel is undertaking multifarious tasks including Surveillance, Interdiction, Search and Rescue, in addition to assisting boats and crafts in distress at sea. “In the East Region, C-449 will be the 10th vessel in the Interceptor boat category. Currently we have eight Offshore Patrol Vessels(OPV) and 15 fast patrol vessels, besides 5 Dornier aircraft and 3 Chetak helicopters. At the pan-India level, the Coast Guard has about five interceptor boats and seven OPVs in the pipeline” S. Paramesh, Inspector General, Coast Guard East Region told WION. The ship is commanded by Assistant Commandant Ashish Sharma and will be based at Krishnapatnam under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No. 6, Visakhapatnam. The Indian Coast Guard currently operates over 150 surface platforms and more than 60 aircraft. K Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard had earlier said: “Our Coast Guard stands larger than many navies in the world and we further plan to boost our assets to 200 vessels and 100 aircraft by 2025. We also have bilateral and multilateral agreements with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives etc. Daily we deploy 30-40 ships and 10-12 aircraft for surveillance and in the last decade we have saved over 10,000 lives, in over 3100 missions against the fury of nature.”

Indian Coast Guard commissions new Interceptor boat C-449 for East region

The Indian Coast Guard last week helped a Pakistani national who suffered a heart attack on high seas.

The Pakistan national Captain Badar Hasnain, master of vessel MV Haykal, suffered a heart stroke on 13 July, 2020 while the vessel was en route Gopalpur Port, Odisha.&nbsp;

The Indian coast guard immediately responded to the request for medical assistance and evacuated him to a hospital in Visakhapatnam for treatment.

Initial diagnosis at Queen’s NRI Hospital, Visakhapatnam pointed out that he suffered from “Hypoxic Ischemic Encehalopthy” and was further recommended his treatment to continue in the hospital. &nbsp;

His condition has now stabilized&nbsp;and he left for Pakistan on Monday via Attari Wagah Border.

Captain Hasnain’s daughter has appreciated the humanitarian gesture of the Indian government and efforts of doctors at the hospital to provide him with medical treatment.&nbsp;

The Indian Coast Guard last week helped a Pakistani national who suffered a heart attack on high seas. The Pakistan national Captain Badar Hasnain, master of vessel MV Haykal, suffered a heart stroke on 13 July, 2020 while the vessel was en route Gopalpur Port, Odisha.

The Indian Coast Guard last week helped a Pakistani national who suffered a heart attack on high seas. The Pakistan national Captain Badar Hasnain, master of vessel MV Haykal, suffered a heart stroke on 13 July, 2020 while the vessel was en route Gopalpur Port, Odisha. The Indian coast guard immediately responded to the request for medical assistance and evacuated him to a hospital in Visakhapatnam for treatment. Initial diagnosis at Queen’s NRI Hospital, Visakhapatnam pointed out that he suffered from “Hypoxic Ischemic Encehalopthy” and was further recommended his treatment to continue in the hospital. His condition has now stabilized and he left for Pakistan on Monday via Attari Wagah Border. Captain Hasnain’s daughter has appreciated the humanitarian gesture of the Indian government and efforts of doctors at the hospital to provide him with medical treatment.

Indian Coast Guard comes to the aid of Pakistani national who suffered heart attack on high seas

The Indian Coast guard conducted joint patrol, training exercises with the Marine Police of respective states on the Eastern, Western coasts and along the islands to enhance synergy between the forces.

The Indian Coast guard conducted joint patrol, training exercises with the Marine Police of respective states on the Eastern, Western coasts and along the islands to enhance synergy between the forces. This training imparted involved embarking Marine Police personnel onboard ICG vessels to provide hands-on training in various aspects such as safety, navigation, maintenance, law enforcement, surveillance and investigation at seas within territorial waters. Coast Guard has been training Marine police since 2006-07, as the need to step-up the capabilities of Marine Police has become more pronounced. The Marine Police is required to patrol upto 12 nautical miles into the waters, as the state’s laws are applicable until that point. In terms of the Coast guard’s areas of responsibility, their aircraft and vessels monitor and secure the 7516km long coastline and India’s Exclusive Economic Zone that is over 2million sq km. Aimed at improving the skills and capabilities of the Marine Police of respective states, Joint Coastal patrols enhance the Coastal Security mechanism. This ensures that an additional layer security is in place at the level of the respective states. With implementation of joint patrol, Marine Police personnel will be able to enhancing their operational efficiency. From the East region alone, Coast Guard assets were deployed from six locations - Vishakapatnam, Krishnapatnam, Chennai, Puducherry, Karaikal and Mandapam. Such joint efforts and training would address issues of communication, inter-operability, and joint investigation procedures by Marine Police.

Indian Coast Guard conducts joint patrol and training with marine police

In a coordinated Search and Rescue mission (SAR), the Indian Coast Guard has rescued 14 fishermen, whose boat was adrift at sea, off the Nagapattinam coast, owing to a mechanical failure. An Indian coast guard ship in the region had undertaken the rescue mission after a merchant vessel MV Gas Ionian, that was passing by the stranded boat, had relayed the information to Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Chennai.&nbsp;

The fishing boat GN Sabari Vasan which had sailed out from Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, with 14 crew was drifting at sea, since 4th August. It was observed to have a machinery breakdown and a damaged propeller. It was also dangerously drifting owing to the rough South East Monsoon weather.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/astronauts-for-indias-first-manned-space-mission-gangayaan-complete-training-in-russia-318774">Also read:&nbsp;Astronauts for India's first manned space mission, Gangayaan, complete training in Russia</a>

On August 5th, ICGS Shaurya, which was in the region had towed the boat back to the safety of the Nagapattinam fishing harbor for repairs. The boat was adrift at sea, nearly 88 miles east of Nagapattinam.

The Indian Coast Guard has been issuing regular advisories to undertake fishing in groups, adhering to safe practices at sea. They also urge fishermen to carry adequate lifesaving and communication equipment on board.&nbsp;

In a coordinated Search and Rescue mission (SAR), the Indian Coast Guard has rescued 14 fishermen, whose boat was adrift at sea, off the Nagapattinam coast, owing to a mechanical failure.

In a coordinated Search and Rescue mission (SAR), the Indian Coast Guard has rescued 14 fishermen, whose boat was adrift at sea, off the Nagapattinam coast, owing to a mechanical failure. An Indian coast guard ship in the region had undertaken the rescue mission after a merchant vessel MV Gas Ionian, that was passing by the stranded boat, had relayed the information to Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Chennai. The fishing boat GN Sabari Vasan which had sailed out from Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, with 14 crew was drifting at sea, since 4th August. It was observed to have a machinery breakdown and a damaged propeller. It was also dangerously drifting owing to the rough South East Monsoon weather. Also read: Astronauts for India's first manned space mission, Gangayaan, complete training in Russia On August 5th, ICGS Shaurya, which was in the region had towed the boat back to the safety of the Nagapattinam fishing harbor for repairs. The boat was adrift at sea, nearly 88 miles east of Nagapattinam. The Indian Coast Guard has been issuing regular advisories to undertake fishing in groups, adhering to safe practices at sea. They also urge fishermen to carry adequate lifesaving and communication equipment on board.

Tamil Nadu: Indian Coast Guard tows adrift boat to harbor, rescues 14 fishermen

Six Sri Lankan fishermen who were stranded at sea for 4 days, are headed for Visakapatnam, after being rescued by a Merchant's vessel on Sunday.&nbsp;

The rescue was coordinated by Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) in Mumbai and Chennai.&nbsp;

Watch |

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&nbsp;

The capsized fishing vessel and the six survivors were sighted around 170 nautical miles east of Chennai, by merchant vessel YM Summit, after which the Indian Coast Guard authorities were alerted.&nbsp;

On spotting the capsized boat, the Master of the merchant's vessel had informed the MRCCs, which immediately responded and urged the merchant vessel to take the adrift fishermen on-board and provide the necessary aid.&nbsp;

<img alt="Lankan fishermen" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="723e7dcb-f772-43d4-815d-bd13660b06d3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Lanka-fishermen.JPG" />

The fishermen were identified as natives of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka and had been braving the rough seas for four days. The MRCC Chennai had coordinated with the MRCC Colombo and Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai to verify the credentials and make arrangements for their repatriation. India and Sri Lanka have a robust cooperative framework, by the means of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Coast guards and the MRCCs of both the countries.&nbsp;

This rescue highlights the synergy and coordination between merchant mariners and the Indian Coast Guard towards the safety of lives at sea.&nbsp;

The Merchant vessel with the six fishermen on-board is expected to reach its next port of call, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Monday evening and the rest of the formalities are to begin from there.

Six Sri Lankan fishermen who were stranded at sea for 4 days, are headed for Visakapatnam, after being rescued by a Merchant's vessel on Sunday. The rescue was coordinated by Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) in Mumbai and Chennai.

Six Sri Lankan fishermen who were stranded at sea for 4 days, are headed for Visakapatnam, after being rescued by a Merchant's vessel on Sunday. The rescue was coordinated by Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) in Mumbai and Chennai. Watch | The capsized fishing vessel and the six survivors were sighted around 170 nautical miles east of Chennai, by merchant vessel YM Summit, after which the Indian Coast Guard authorities were alerted. On spotting the capsized boat, the Master of the merchant's vessel had informed the MRCCs, which immediately responded and urged the merchant vessel to take the adrift fishermen on-board and provide the necessary aid. The fishermen were identified as natives of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka and had been braving the rough seas for four days. The MRCC Chennai had coordinated with the MRCC Colombo and Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai to verify the credentials and make arrangements for their repatriation. India and Sri Lanka have a robust cooperative framework, by the means of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Coast guards and the MRCCs of both the countries. This rescue highlights the synergy and coordination between merchant mariners and the Indian Coast Guard towards the safety of lives at sea. The Merchant vessel with the six fishermen on-board is expected to reach its next port of call, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Monday evening and the rest of the formalities are to begin from there.

Watch: Sri Lankan fishermen rescued after being adrift for 4 days; Indian Coast Guard coordinates efforts

The Indian Coast Guard launched the sixth offshore patrol Vessel 'Yard 45006 Vajra' at the Kattupalli shipyard, near Chennai, in the presence of Minister of State for Shipping (Independent charge) and Chemicals and fertilisers, and other dignitaries from the Indian Coast Guard and Larsen &amp; Toubro Shipbuilding.&nbsp;

The launching marks an important milestone as a vessel touches the water for the first time.&nbsp;

In India, ships have historically been launched with a Puja ceremony that dedicates the ship to a God and blessings are sought for the ship and her sailors. The ceremony involves a lady breaking a coconut on the bow of the vessel, along with Puja and festivities. The ship was launched by Smt Geeta Mandaviya, wife of Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya.

The offshore patrol Vessel (Vajra) is 98 meters long, 15 meters wide and has a gross tonnage of about 2100 tons and is equipped with two navigations radars with the latest communication technology.&nbsp;

<img alt="Vajra" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="45c5e772-b797-4b4a-bace-7dc076bbd45c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_56.jpg" />

<img alt="Vajra" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5d7798ca-74d7-4398-9610-be0c5ac29d8a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%284%29_43.jpg" />

This vessel has an endurance of 5000 nautical miles and can travel at a top speed of 26knots. Armed with a CRN 91 30mm Naval gun and two 12.7mm guns the ship would be utilized for day and night surveillance, besides anti-terror, anti-smuggling operations in the exclusive economic zone and for coastal security.&nbsp;

It is also capable of carrying a twin-engine helicopter, which will enhance its surveillance, search and rescue capability.

Speaking at the event, Chairman and Managing Director of L&amp;T Shipbuilding Retd Vice-admiral B Kannan said, "this is the sixth OPV built against a Ministry of Defence contract of 2015. We are required to design and construct 7 vessels, of which five have been delivered before the contract schedule and four are already in service. The construction process involved joining many blocks together, of which some of our heaviest blocks weighed over 100tons. We hope to commence the afloat phase very soon and complete the harbour trial and sea-trial phase by June this year."

"These series of seven ships are based on our own indigenous design and are built for completely meeting the Coast Guard’s requirements. We have also brought in improvements in the construction process. The internals(pre-outfitting) of the ship is 72% complete, a figure that is very high for defence ships. This type of engineering ensures that majority of the pumps, cables, and other equipment are fitted as the construction progresses, as opposed to fitting them at the later stages of construction." he told WION.&nbsp;

In his address, Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recalled the glory of Indian shipbuilding and maritime sector during the rule of Shivaji. Responding to a question from WION, he said, "we have 61 vessels for the Coast Guard that are in the pipeline, as of today and we are depending on both public sector and private sector firms for the construction. We are looking to enhance national security by providing berthing facility for the Indian Coast Guard at every one of the 12 major ports and will fulfil their requirements.” He added that the Government was also working on reducing the dependence on the roadways and railways by ensuring that larger volumes of cargo can be transported via inland waterways.”

Addressing the gathering, K Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard said, "we have christened the vessel 'Vajra' in today’s ceremony and the launching marks a very important milestone, as she would be touching the water for the first time. The Coast Guard began in 1977 with two vessels and five boats. We have made swift progress since then with the support of PSUs and Private shipyards and have 146 surface platforms and 62 aircraft currently. The Interceptor boats are our workhorses and OPV form a strong backbone. We have a daily deployment of 50 ships and 10 aircraft for monitoring and securing our 7516 coastlines and Exclusive Economic Zone of over 2mn sq km"

The Indian Coast Guard launched the sixth offshore patrol Vessel 'Yard 45006 Vajra' at the Kattupalli shipyard, near Chennai, in the presence of Minister of State for Shipping (Independent charge) and Chemicals and fertilisers, and other dignitaries from the Indian Coast Guard and Larsen & Toubro Shipbuilding.

The Indian Coast Guard launched the sixth offshore patrol Vessel 'Yard 45006 Vajra' at the Kattupalli shipyard, near Chennai, in the presence of Minister of State for Shipping (Independent charge) and Chemicals and fertilisers, and other dignitaries from the Indian Coast Guard and Larsen & Toubro Shipbuilding. The launching marks an important milestone as a vessel touches the water for the first time. In India, ships have historically been launched with a Puja ceremony that dedicates the ship to a God and blessings are sought for the ship and her sailors. The ceremony involves a lady breaking a coconut on the bow of the vessel, along with Puja and festivities. The ship was launched by Smt Geeta Mandaviya, wife of Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya. The offshore patrol Vessel (Vajra) is 98 meters long, 15 meters wide and has a gross tonnage of about 2100 tons and is equipped with two navigations radars with the latest communication technology. This vessel has an endurance of 5000 nautical miles and can travel at a top speed of 26knots. Armed with a CRN 91 30mm Naval gun and two 12.7mm guns the ship would be utilized for day and night surveillance, besides anti-terror, anti-smuggling operations in the exclusive economic zone and for coastal security. It is also capable of carrying a twin-engine helicopter, which will enhance its surveillance, search and rescue capability. Speaking at the event, Chairman and Managing Director of L&T Shipbuilding Retd Vice-admiral B Kannan said, "this is the sixth OPV built against a Ministry of Defence contract of 2015. We are required to design and construct 7 vessels, of which five have been delivered before the contract schedule and four are already in service. The construction process involved joining many blocks together, of which some of our heaviest blocks weighed over 100tons. We hope to commence the afloat phase very soon and complete the harbour trial and sea-trial phase by June this year." "These series of seven ships are based on our own indigenous design and are built for completely meeting the Coast Guard’s requirements. We have also brought in improvements in the construction process. The internals(pre-outfitting) of the ship is 72% complete, a figure that is very high for defence ships. This type of engineering ensures that majority of the pumps, cables, and other equipment are fitted as the construction progresses, as opposed to fitting them at the later stages of construction." he told WION. In his address, Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recalled the glory of Indian shipbuilding and maritime sector during the rule of Shivaji. Responding to a question from WION, he said, "we have 61 vessels for the Coast Guard that are in the pipeline, as of today and we are depending on both public sector and private sector firms for the construction. We are looking to enhance national security by providing berthing facility for the Indian Coast Guard at every one of the 12 major ports and will fulfil their requirements.” He added that the Government was also working on reducing the dependence on the roadways and railways by ensuring that larger volumes of cargo can be transported via inland waterways.” Addressing the gathering, K Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard said, "we have christened the vessel 'Vajra' in today’s ceremony and the launching marks a very important milestone, as she would be touching the water for the first time. The Coast Guard began in 1977 with two vessels and five boats. We have made swift progress since then with the support of PSUs and Private shipyards and have 146 surface platforms and 62 aircraft currently. The Interceptor boats are our workhorses and OPV form a strong backbone. We have a daily deployment of 50 ships and 10 aircraft for monitoring and securing our 7516 coastlines and Exclusive Economic Zone of over 2mn sq km"

Indian Coast Guard launches offshore patrol vessel Vajra; to be operational by October 2020

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat in a joint operation with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coast-gaurds-and-merchant-vessels-together-recued-264-distressed-fisherman-266325">Indian Coast Guard</a> (ICG) here on Monday nabbed five Pakistani nationals and seized 35 kg heroin from their possession. 
 
"ATS Gujarat had got credible information that an illegal consignment of narcotic drugs, Heroin, is going to be smuggled in Gujarat through Coast. BP Rojiya, ACP ATS passed this information to Senior Officers of ATS. The information further revealed that the consignment is being sent in Pakistani fishing boat from Pakistan," read an official statement. 
 
On receiving the information a joint operation was initiated between the Indian Coast Guard and ATS. 
 
A continuous search operation was undertaken near the location during which a suspicious Pakistani boat was identified in Indian waters. In the search operation, 35 packets of contraband heroin were revealed from Pakistani boat JamJam. 
 
The approximate weight of confiscated contraband is 35 Kg valuing Rs 175 crores in the international market. The interrogation of the apprehended accused persons is in progress jointly by all agencies. 
 
The accused have been identified as Anees Isa Bhatti (30), Ismail Mohammed Kachchi (50), Ashhraf Usman Kutchhi (42), Kareem Abdulla Kutchhi (37) and Abubakar Ashraf Sumra (55).

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat in a joint operation with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) here on Monday nabbed five Pakistani nationals and seized 35 kg heroin from their possession.

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat in a joint operation with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) here on Monday nabbed five Pakistani nationals and seized 35 kg heroin from their possession. "ATS Gujarat had got credible information that an illegal consignment of narcotic drugs, Heroin, is going to be smuggled in Gujarat through Coast. BP Rojiya, ACP ATS passed this information to Senior Officers of ATS. The information further revealed that the consignment is being sent in Pakistani fishing boat from Pakistan," read an official statement. On receiving the information a joint operation was initiated between the Indian Coast Guard and ATS. A continuous search operation was undertaken near the location during which a suspicious Pakistani boat was identified in Indian waters. In the search operation, 35 packets of contraband heroin were revealed from Pakistani boat JamJam. The approximate weight of confiscated contraband is 35 Kg valuing Rs 175 crores in the international market. The interrogation of the apprehended accused persons is in progress jointly by all agencies. The accused have been identified as Anees Isa Bhatti (30), Ismail Mohammed Kachchi (50), Ashhraf Usman Kutchhi (42), Kareem Abdulla Kutchhi (37) and Abubakar Ashraf Sumra (55).

Five Pakistani nationals with 35 kg heroin in their possession, nabbed in Gujarat

Indian Coast Guard Ship Varaha (ICGS Varaha) was commissioned into service today by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in the presence of Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard and other senior officials, at the Chennai Port. Varaha is planned to be based at New Mangalore under the administrative and Operation control of Commander Coast Guard Region (West). The ship has a complement of 14 officers and 89 men and is commanded by Commandant Dushyant Kumar&nbsp;

‘Varaha' is the fourth ship in the series of seven 98-meter offshore patrol vessels(OPV) that are being built. The name Varaha has its roots in Indian mythology, where Lord Vishnu in his third incarnation took the form of a boar to rescue goddess earth from the ocean, by lifting her on his tusks. The ship has been indigenously designed and built by Larsen and Toubro(L&amp;T).&nbsp;

<img alt="Varaha" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3e6548ea-9b05-427f-a3fe-866bd65c3e03" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%285%29_10.jpg" />

(Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Varaha has been commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in Chennai on Wednesday.)

Speaking at the event, JD Patil, Director, L&amp;T Shipbuilding said, “the fourth OPV is the 50th Coast Guard vessel designed and developed by L&amp;T in Chennai. The three ships prior to Varaha were also delivered to the Coast Guard ahead of the contract schedule and we are sure that the remaining three vessels will also be delivered ahead. of schedule.”

Addressing the Officers, Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard said, “coast guard had a humble beginning in 1977 as the Marine wing of Customs and today we have become a force with 142 ships, boats and 62 aircraft for patrolling India’s Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ) and close coast patrol. Our Coast Guard stands larger than many navies in the world and we further plan to boost our assets to 200 vessels and 100 aircraft by 2025. We also have bilateral and multilateral agreements with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives etc. Daily we deploy 30-40 ships and 10-12 aircraft for surveillance and in the last decade we have saved over 10,000 lives, in over 3100 missions against the fury of nature.”

“Varaha has ultra-advanced navigation, communication and sensors. The OPV will be based out of Mangalore and will be covering our EEZ up to Kanyakumari and Lakshadweep The ship also carries the Advanced Light Helicopter(ALH) that is indigenously developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL). Not many countries in the world produce a wide range of assets from Fast Attack Craft to Aircraft Carriers, this showcases the significance of the Make in India initiative and collaboration with private players”, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Minister recalled how the tradition of shipbuilding was not new to India and traced its roots to the Indus Valley Civilization. He added that the Chola empire that had established significant maritime trade ties with South and South East Asia.

She is armed with a 30mm gun and is to be fitted with the 12.7mm gun with Fire Control System(FCS). The 2100-ton displacing ship is propelled by two 9100Kw engines and can reach top speeds of 26knots and has an endurance of 5000 nautical miles, with the ability to stay at sea for 20 days without replenishment. It has been designed to carry one twin-engine light helicopter in the hangar and twin-engine heavy helicopter on deck, both of which have night-flying capabilities. Having helicopters on board extends the ship’s range by about 100 miles, while its radars have a range of 96miles.&nbsp;

Sources told WION that Varaha is among the fleet of ships that are based on a wholly digitally designed, indigenous model on which various ergonomic studies were conducted to ensure that they are extremely stable even in inclement weather, with minimum roll and pitch. In the earlier era, detailed ship drawings had to be made on tables that were as long as three dining tables and then the engineers would have to work on the models, whereas now it has all been computerized.&nbsp;

The ship also carries four high-speed boats including two rigid hull inflatable boats for swift boarding operation, search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol. It is also capable of carrying Pollution Response equipment to contain oil spills at sea.

Indian Coast Guard Ship Varaha (ICGS Varaha) was commissioned into service today by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in the presence of Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard and other senior officials, at the Chennai Port.

Indian Coast Guard Ship Varaha (ICGS Varaha) was commissioned into service today by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in the presence of Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard and other senior officials, at the Chennai Port. Varaha is planned to be based at New Mangalore under the administrative and Operation control of Commander Coast Guard Region (West). The ship has a complement of 14 officers and 89 men and is commanded by Commandant Dushyant Kumar ‘Varaha' is the fourth ship in the series of seven 98-meter offshore patrol vessels(OPV) that are being built. The name Varaha has its roots in Indian mythology, where Lord Vishnu in his third incarnation took the form of a boar to rescue goddess earth from the ocean, by lifting her on his tusks. The ship has been indigenously designed and built by Larsen and Toubro(L&T). (Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Varaha has been commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in Chennai on Wednesday.) Speaking at the event, JD Patil, Director, L&T Shipbuilding said, “the fourth OPV is the 50th Coast Guard vessel designed and developed by L&T in Chennai. The three ships prior to Varaha were also delivered to the Coast Guard ahead of the contract schedule and we are sure that the remaining three vessels will also be delivered ahead. of schedule.” Addressing the Officers, Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Director General, Indian Coast Guard said, “coast guard had a humble beginning in 1977 as the Marine wing of Customs and today we have become a force with 142 ships, boats and 62 aircraft for patrolling India’s Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ) and close coast patrol. Our Coast Guard stands larger than many navies in the world and we further plan to boost our assets to 200 vessels and 100 aircraft by 2025. We also have bilateral and multilateral agreements with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives etc. Daily we deploy 30-40 ships and 10-12 aircraft for surveillance and in the last decade we have saved over 10,000 lives, in over 3100 missions against the fury of nature.” “Varaha has ultra-advanced navigation, communication and sensors. The OPV will be based out of Mangalore and will be covering our EEZ up to Kanyakumari and Lakshadweep The ship also carries the Advanced Light Helicopter(ALH) that is indigenously developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL). Not many countries in the world produce a wide range of assets from Fast Attack Craft to Aircraft Carriers, this showcases the significance of the Make in India initiative and collaboration with private players”, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Minister recalled how the tradition of shipbuilding was not new to India and traced its roots to the Indus Valley Civilization. He added that the Chola empire that had established significant maritime trade ties with South and South East Asia. She is armed with a 30mm gun and is to be fitted with the 12.7mm gun with Fire Control System(FCS). The 2100-ton displacing ship is propelled by two 9100Kw engines and can reach top speeds of 26knots and has an endurance of 5000 nautical miles, with the ability to stay at sea for 20 days without replenishment. It has been designed to carry one twin-engine light helicopter in the hangar and twin-engine heavy helicopter on deck, both of which have night-flying capabilities. Having helicopters on board extends the ship’s range by about 100 miles, while its radars have a range of 96miles. Sources told WION that Varaha is among the fleet of ships that are based on a wholly digitally designed, indigenous model on which various ergonomic studies were conducted to ensure that they are extremely stable even in inclement weather, with minimum roll and pitch. In the earlier era, detailed ship drawings had to be made on tables that were as long as three dining tables and then the engineers would have to work on the models, whereas now it has all been computerized. The ship also carries four high-speed boats including two rigid hull inflatable boats for swift boarding operation, search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol. It is also capable of carrying Pollution Response equipment to contain oil spills at sea.

Coast Guard ship ‘Varaha’ commissioned; Indian Coast Guard to get stronger by 67 vessels and 38 aircraft by 2025

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd launched the fifth Fast Patrol Vessel on Saturday.

The Fast Patrol Vessel to be commissioned as ICGS Kanaklata Barua, is the last in the series of Five FPVs to be built by GRSE for the Indian Coast Guard.

The ship was launched by Veena Ajay Kumar, wife of Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary Defence (Production). The ceremony was held in the presence of Rear Admiral VK Saxena, IN(Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, Inspector General Rajan Bargotra, Commander Coast Guard Region (North-East), senior officials of GRSE and Indian Coast Guard.

The&nbsp;ship is 50 metres long, 7.5 metres wide and has a displacement of around 308 tons.&nbsp;

These Fast Patrol Vessels are designed for a maximum speed of 34 knots with an endurance of more than 1500 nautical miles.&nbsp;

These vessels come with an efficient hull form developed in-house and proven after extensive model testing.

These fuel-efficient and powerful platforms are well suited for patrolling, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching, and rescue operations.&nbsp;

They come fitted with state-of-the-art Main Engines with Advanced Control Systems and Water Jet Units and an 'Integrated Bridge System' assimilating all communication and navigation systems.&nbsp;

The key armament of a 40/60 gun and improved habitability features with fully air-conditioned modular accommodation for 35 personnel are the other salient features of these ships.

GRSE is one of the major shipyards in India, besides the Mumbai, Goa, Cochin and Vizag that produce warships for the Indian Navy.

GRSE since 1960, has built several ships like - Frigate, Anti Submarine Warfare Corvette, Missile Corvette, Landing Ship Tank, Landing Craft Utility, Survey Vessel, Fleet Replenishment Tanker, Fast Patrol Vessel, Offshore Patrol Vessel, Inshore Patrol Vessel, Fast Attack Craft, Hover Craft, Fast Interceptor Boat and several others.

Besides shipbuilding, it also carries out ship repairs.

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd launched the fifth Fast Patrol Vessel on Saturday. The Fast Patrol Vessel to be commissioned as ICGS Kanaklata Barua, is the last in the series of Five FPVs to be built by GRSE for the Indian Coast Guard.

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd launched the fifth Fast Patrol Vessel on Saturday. The Fast Patrol Vessel to be commissioned as ICGS Kanaklata Barua, is the last in the series of Five FPVs to be built by GRSE for the Indian Coast Guard. The ship was launched by Veena Ajay Kumar, wife of Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary Defence (Production). The ceremony was held in the presence of Rear Admiral VK Saxena, IN(Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, Inspector General Rajan Bargotra, Commander Coast Guard Region (North-East), senior officials of GRSE and Indian Coast Guard. The ship is 50 metres long, 7.5 metres wide and has a displacement of around 308 tons. These Fast Patrol Vessels are designed for a maximum speed of 34 knots with an endurance of more than 1500 nautical miles. These vessels come with an efficient hull form developed in-house and proven after extensive model testing. These fuel-efficient and powerful platforms are well suited for patrolling, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching, and rescue operations. They come fitted with state-of-the-art Main Engines with Advanced Control Systems and Water Jet Units and an 'Integrated Bridge System' assimilating all communication and navigation systems. The key armament of a 40/60 gun and improved habitability features with fully air-conditioned modular accommodation for 35 personnel are the other salient features of these ships. GRSE is one of the major shipyards in India, besides the Mumbai, Goa, Cochin and Vizag that produce warships for the Indian Navy. GRSE since 1960, has built several ships like - Frigate, Anti Submarine Warfare Corvette, Missile Corvette, Landing Ship Tank, Landing Craft Utility, Survey Vessel, Fleet Replenishment Tanker, Fast Patrol Vessel, Offshore Patrol Vessel, Inshore Patrol Vessel, Fast Attack Craft, Hover Craft, Fast Interceptor Boat and several others. Besides shipbuilding, it also carries out ship repairs.

GRSE launches fifth Fast Patrol Vessel for Indian Coast Guard

The Indian Coast Guard in a coordinated operation with the Bangladesh Coast Guard brought back as many as 516 Indian fishermen along with 32 Indian fishing boats from Bangladesh who were stranded due to bad weather and rough seas in the Bay of Bengal.&nbsp;

The Bangladesh Coast Guard had provided shelter to these Indian fishing boats at Payra Port in Bangladesh approximately 135 kms from International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). &nbsp; &nbsp;

The boats were escorted by two Bangladesh Coast Guard ships – Mansoor Ali and Sadhini Bangla up to the IMBL, where they were formally handed over to two Indian Coast Guard ships – Vijaya and Anmol.&nbsp;

The Coast Guard ships escorted the ships up to the Kakdwip Harbour, later handed over to the West Bengal Fisheries Department.&nbsp;

However, coordinated search by Indian and Bangladesh Coast Guard continues for the four ships that capsized in the Bay of Bengal carrying 24 fishermen. One of the total 25 fishermen miraculously floated on a wooden plank for four days before being rescued by a Bangladeshi ship.&nbsp;

On July 7, four Indian fishing boats from West Bengal - Dashabhuja, Babaji, Joyjogiraj and Nayan from Bengal with 61 crew members and fishermen on board capsized in the Bay of Bengal. Of these 61 fishermen, 36 were rescued by the IFB in the vicinity.&nbsp;

The Indian Coast Guard received a telephonic message from Assistant Director (Fisheries Department), Diamond Harbour regarding the four fishing boats capsizing. Immediately, the Indian Coast Guard deployed a Hovercraft, Fast Patrol Vessel and ICG aircraft in the Indian waters.

On the other hand, the Indian Coast Guard requested Bangladesh Coast Guard to assist in rescue operations in Bangladesh waters.

The Indian Coast Guard in a coordinated operation with the Bangladesh Coast Guard brought back as many as 516 Indian fishermen along with 32 Indian fishing boats from Bangladesh who were stranded due to bad weather and rough seas in the Bay of Bengal.

The Indian Coast Guard in a coordinated operation with the Bangladesh Coast Guard brought back as many as 516 Indian fishermen along with 32 Indian fishing boats from Bangladesh who were stranded due to bad weather and rough seas in the Bay of Bengal. The Bangladesh Coast Guard had provided shelter to these Indian fishing boats at Payra Port in Bangladesh approximately 135 kms from International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). The boats were escorted by two Bangladesh Coast Guard ships – Mansoor Ali and Sadhini Bangla up to the IMBL, where they were formally handed over to two Indian Coast Guard ships – Vijaya and Anmol. The Coast Guard ships escorted the ships up to the Kakdwip Harbour, later handed over to the West Bengal Fisheries Department. However, coordinated search by Indian and Bangladesh Coast Guard continues for the four ships that capsized in the Bay of Bengal carrying 24 fishermen. One of the total 25 fishermen miraculously floated on a wooden plank for four days before being rescued by a Bangladeshi ship. On July 7, four Indian fishing boats from West Bengal - Dashabhuja, Babaji, Joyjogiraj and Nayan from Bengal with 61 crew members and fishermen on board capsized in the Bay of Bengal. Of these 61 fishermen, 36 were rescued by the IFB in the vicinity. The Indian Coast Guard received a telephonic message from Assistant Director (Fisheries Department), Diamond Harbour regarding the four fishing boats capsizing. Immediately, the Indian Coast Guard deployed a Hovercraft, Fast Patrol Vessel and ICG aircraft in the Indian waters. On the other hand, the Indian Coast Guard requested Bangladesh Coast Guard to assist in rescue operations in Bangladesh waters.

Indian Coast Guard rescues 516 Indian fishermen, 32 fishing boats stranded in Bay of Bengal

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation and took note of preparations made by the Indian Coast Guard as well as the Navy to combat '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-vayu-not-to-hit-gujarat-will-pass-nearby-from-veraval-porbandar-dwarka-imd-226711">very severe cyclonic storm'&nbsp;Vayu</a>.

"Indian Navy Ships in Chennai, Gomati and Deepak at Mumbai have been embarked with High availability disaster recovery (HADR)/ Relief Material, and are ready to be deployed at short notice. In addition, 5000 litres of drinking water is also being embarked on board the Indian Navy ships. Seven Indian Navy aircraft and three helicopters are standby for deployment," Singh said on Thursday.

Moreover, two diving and rescue teams and three medical teams are on standby to render necessary assistance.

"Preparations have been made to set up a community kitchen at Dwarka and Porbandar. Aircraft and helicopters will be deployed for the damage assessment and search and rescue operations as required," he added.

Earlier today, Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue Department Pankaj Kumar informed that Cyclone Vayu will pass from Gujarat coastal region in the afternoon, adding that the state government is on alert and people in sensitive areas have been evacuated to safer places.

Flight services have been suspended at airports in Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla, while several trains have been diverted. The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea till June 15.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation and took note of preparations made by the Indian Coast Guard as well as the Navy to combat 'very severe cyclonic storm' Vayu.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation and took note of preparations made by the Indian Coast Guard as well as the Navy to combat 'very severe cyclonic storm' Vayu. "Indian Navy Ships in Chennai, Gomati and Deepak at Mumbai have been embarked with High availability disaster recovery (HADR)/ Relief Material, and are ready to be deployed at short notice. In addition, 5000 litres of drinking water is also being embarked on board the Indian Navy ships. Seven Indian Navy aircraft and three helicopters are standby for deployment," Singh said on Thursday. Moreover, two diving and rescue teams and three medical teams are on standby to render necessary assistance. "Preparations have been made to set up a community kitchen at Dwarka and Porbandar. Aircraft and helicopters will be deployed for the damage assessment and search and rescue operations as required," he added. Earlier today, Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue Department Pankaj Kumar informed that Cyclone Vayu will pass from Gujarat coastal region in the afternoon, adding that the state government is on alert and people in sensitive areas have been evacuated to safer places. Flight services have been suspended at airports in Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla, while several trains have been diverted. The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea till June 15.

Cyclone Vayu: Rajnath Singh reviews preparations of Indian Coast Guard, Navy

In a first for the Indian Coast Guard, a Charter of Affiliation was signed between the ICGS Shaurya and the 3rd (Naga Hills) battalion of the Assam Rifles, the Oldest Paramilitary Force at a ceremony on board the Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaurya here, in the presence of Officers and sailors, troops. &nbsp;

The objective of the affiliation is to promote bilateral cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Assam Rifles in the field of exchange of information and personnel, build up camaraderie, utilize one another’s assets for training, sports/ adventure, understand culture and traditions. This affiliation will go a long way in strengthening the ties between the land and sea forces of the Union of India.

ICGS Shaurya is an indigenously built 105m Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) which draws more than 3000 ton of displacement and is based at Chennai. The ship was commissioned on August 12, 2017 and manned by 10 officers and 100 sailors. The ship is fitted with state-of art equipment and is capable of carrying one twin engine light helicopter for operations at sea.

3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion Assam Rifles is the oldest battalion of the force raised in 1853 as “The Cachar Levy” for guarding eastern frontier of Assam from Brahmaputra river to Cachar Hills and comprises 750 personnel of all ranks. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Phase I Charter of Affiliation had been signed by the Director Generals of the Indian Coast Guard and Assam Rifles on May 22,2019 at Laitkor, Shillong and the Phase II of the charter was signed in Chennai during the reciprocal visit of the Officers and troops of Assam Rifles to the city.

Speaking to WION, S&nbsp;Paramesh, IG Coast Guard, East Region said, “the affiliation would familiarise both the forces in their each others domain of operation and it also provides troops the opportunity to understand the challenges faced in terms of terrain, weather, and to make best use of technology that is available.”

The ultimate aim is to synergise the potential of the two services so as to produce an unbeatable combination in conflict/ humanitarian mission undertaken by both the Armed Forces.It is a permanent affiliation of Assam Rifles with the Coast Guard. “When Coast Guard Officers and sailors went to Shillong it was an enriching experience to understand the terrain, the rigors of the working environment and the weather at the mountainous regions. Overall it helps broaden the horizon of soldiers and we would endeavor to carry it forward”, IG Paramesh added.

A combat battalion of Assam Rifles, consisting 14 Officers and 40 troops(including Mahila Platoon Riflemen) will be training onboard ICGS Shaurya while at sea. &nbsp;In due course of time, arrangements will be made for embarking personnel of Assam Rifles for Over-Seas Deployment (OSD) onboard ICG Ships. Bilateral meeting between the two forces and participation of experts from both sides in such meetings will also form part of affiliation.

The event was attended by Additional Director General VSR Murthy, PTM, TM,Additional Director General Indian Coast Guard, Lt Gen Sukhdeep Sangwan, SM**, Director General Assam Rifles and Inspector General S Paramesh, PTM, TM, Commander Coast Guard Region, East along with officers and men from both the forces.

In a first for the Indian Coast Guard, a Charter of Affiliation was signed between the ICGS Shaurya and the 3rd (Naga Hills) battalion of the Assam Rifles, the Oldest Paramilitary Force at a ceremony on board the Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaurya here, in the presence of Officers and sailors, troops.

In a first for the Indian Coast Guard, a Charter of Affiliation was signed between the ICGS Shaurya and the 3rd (Naga Hills) battalion of the Assam Rifles, the Oldest Paramilitary Force at a ceremony on board the Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaurya here, in the presence of Officers and sailors, troops. The objective of the affiliation is to promote bilateral cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Assam Rifles in the field of exchange of information and personnel, build up camaraderie, utilize one another’s assets for training, sports/ adventure, understand culture and traditions. This affiliation will go a long way in strengthening the ties between the land and sea forces of the Union of India. ICGS Shaurya is an indigenously built 105m Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) which draws more than 3000 ton of displacement and is based at Chennai. The ship was commissioned on August 12, 2017 and manned by 10 officers and 100 sailors. The ship is fitted with state-of art equipment and is capable of carrying one twin engine light helicopter for operations at sea. 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion Assam Rifles is the oldest battalion of the force raised in 1853 as “The Cachar Levy” for guarding eastern frontier of Assam from Brahmaputra river to Cachar Hills and comprises 750 personnel of all ranks. The Phase I Charter of Affiliation had been signed by the Director Generals of the Indian Coast Guard and Assam Rifles on May 22,2019 at Laitkor, Shillong and the Phase II of the charter was signed in Chennai during the reciprocal visit of the Officers and troops of Assam Rifles to the city. Speaking to WION, S Paramesh, IG Coast Guard, East Region said, “the affiliation would familiarise both the forces in their each others domain of operation and it also provides troops the opportunity to understand the challenges faced in terms of terrain, weather, and to make best use of technology that is available.” The ultimate aim is to synergise the potential of the two services so as to produce an unbeatable combination in conflict/ humanitarian mission undertaken by both the Armed Forces.It is a permanent affiliation of Assam Rifles with the Coast Guard. “When Coast Guard Officers and sailors went to Shillong it was an enriching experience to understand the terrain, the rigors of the working environment and the weather at the mountainous regions. Overall it helps broaden the horizon of soldiers and we would endeavor to carry it forward”, IG Paramesh added. A combat battalion of Assam Rifles, consisting 14 Officers and 40 troops(including Mahila Platoon Riflemen) will be training onboard ICGS Shaurya while at sea. In due course of time, arrangements will be made for embarking personnel of Assam Rifles for Over-Seas Deployment (OSD) onboard ICG Ships. Bilateral meeting between the two forces and participation of experts from both sides in such meetings will also form part of affiliation. The event was attended by Additional Director General VSR Murthy, PTM, TM,Additional Director General Indian Coast Guard, Lt Gen Sukhdeep Sangwan, SM**, Director General Assam Rifles and Inspector General S Paramesh, PTM, TM, Commander Coast Guard Region, East along with officers and men from both the forces.

When India’s ‘sentinels of the sea’ work in tandem with the ‘sentinels of the northeast’ 

India’s oldest paramilitary force, Assam Rifles and the Indian Coast Guard signed the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ on Wednesday at the Assam Rifles Headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya.&nbsp;

The Assam Rifles, which guards the Indo-Myanmar border and the Indian Coast Guard that guards India’s maritime borders and coastal frontiers carried out the affiliation between 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion of Assam Rifles and Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya’.&nbsp;

The signing of the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ was followed by a joint wreath-laying ceremony at the Assam Rifles War Memorial and a combined Guard of Honour was led by Captain Ruchi Pathak of the Assam Rifles.

This initiative will facilitate a greater understanding of operational ethos, sharing of best practices from each other, building camaraderie and utilisation of each other’s assets for training, sports and adventure will be carried out.&nbsp;

“A battalion of the Assam Rifles will soon sail alongside the Indian Coast Guard officers and sailors on board ICG ship Shaurya from Chennai. They will train together and exchange knowledge land borders and overseas management,” said a senior official of the Assam Rifles.

The event was attended by Lt General Sukhdeep Sangwan, Director General Assam Rifles and Director General Rajendra Singh, Indian Coast Guard along with a host of officers and men from both the forces.&nbsp;

India’s oldest paramilitary force, Assam Rifles and the Indian Coast Guard signed the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ on Wednesday at the Assam Rifles Headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya.

India’s oldest paramilitary force, Assam Rifles and the Indian Coast Guard signed the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ on Wednesday at the Assam Rifles Headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya. The Assam Rifles, which guards the Indo-Myanmar border and the Indian Coast Guard that guards India’s maritime borders and coastal frontiers carried out the affiliation between 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion of Assam Rifles and Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya’. The signing of the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ was followed by a joint wreath-laying ceremony at the Assam Rifles War Memorial and a combined Guard of Honour was led by Captain Ruchi Pathak of the Assam Rifles. This initiative will facilitate a greater understanding of operational ethos, sharing of best practices from each other, building camaraderie and utilisation of each other’s assets for training, sports and adventure will be carried out. “A battalion of the Assam Rifles will soon sail alongside the Indian Coast Guard officers and sailors on board ICG ship Shaurya from Chennai. They will train together and exchange knowledge land borders and overseas management,” said a senior official of the Assam Rifles. The event was attended by Lt General Sukhdeep Sangwan, Director General Assam Rifles and Director General Rajendra Singh, Indian Coast Guard along with a host of officers and men from both the forces.

Assam Rifles, Indian Coast Guard sign ‘charter of affiliation’

Telecommunication networks have been reportedly partially disrupted in Puri and Bhubaneswar districts in Odisha due to cyclonic storm Fani making landfall on Friday morning.

In addition to the 147 trains (scheduled from May 1 to May 3) cancelled earlier, East Coast Railway has cancelled 10 more trains.

Odisha and adjoining regions were battered by the extremely severe cyclonic storm which made landfall with a wind speed of around 245 kmph.

Helpline number - 1938 - has been made operational by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Indian Coast Guard has positioned 34 disaster relief teams at Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Paradip, Gopalpur, Haldia, Frazergunj and Kolkata besides four ships at Visakhapatnam and Chennai.

The system is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a "severe cyclonic storm" by the early morning of May 4.

Thereafter, it is expected to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on May 4 evening as a cyclonic storm.&nbsp;

Telecommunication networks have been reportedly partially disrupted in Puri and Bhubaneswar districts in Odisha due to cyclonic storm Fani making landfall on Friday morning.

Telecommunication networks have been reportedly partially disrupted in Puri and Bhubaneswar districts in Odisha due to cyclonic storm Fani making landfall on Friday morning. In addition to the 147 trains (scheduled from May 1 to May 3) cancelled earlier, East Coast Railway has cancelled 10 more trains. Odisha and adjoining regions were battered by the extremely severe cyclonic storm which made landfall with a wind speed of around 245 kmph. Helpline number - 1938 - has been made operational by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Indian Coast Guard has positioned 34 disaster relief teams at Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Paradip, Gopalpur, Haldia, Frazergunj and Kolkata besides four ships at Visakhapatnam and Chennai. The system is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a "severe cyclonic storm" by the early morning of May 4. Thereafter, it is expected to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on May 4 evening as a cyclonic storm.

Cyclone Fani: Telecommunication networks partially disrupted in Puri, Bhubaneswar

Cyclone 'Fani' intensified into a 'severe cyclonic storm' Monday evening and is headed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/odisha-on-high-alert-as-cyclone-fani-progresses-214601">towards the Odisha coast</a>, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.&nbsp;

It could take a shape of an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-fani-forces-iaf-to-postpone-brahmos-testfiring-214565">'extremely severe cyclone'</a> by Wednesday, prompting the government to put the National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Coast Guard on high alert, officials said.

In its 9 pm bulletin, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said the storm currently lays about 620 km east-northeast of the Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, 770 km east-southeast of Chennai and 900 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QENero3ITPI" width="560"></iframe>

"The Cyclonic storm 'Fani' (pronounced as Foni) over Southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 16 kilometres per hour in last six hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm.&nbsp;

"It is very likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards till May 1 evening and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards towards the Odisha coast," the bulletin said.

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Severe Cyclonic ‘FANI’ is very likely to intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic during next 12 hrs &amp; into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic during subsequent 24 hrs. To move northwestwards till 01st May evening and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards towards Odisha Coast. <a href="https://t.co/8JrTkkiH6b">pic.twitter.com/8JrTkkiH6b</a>
— India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) <a href="https://twitter.com/Indiametdept/status/1122965181342961664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the country's top body to deal with emergency situation, Monday took stock of the situation arising out of cyclone 'Fani' and assured the state governments concerned of all assistance from the central government to face the storm.

The NDRF and the Indian Coast Guard have been put on high alert and the fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea as cyclone 'Fani' is expected to intensify into a 'very severe storm' by Tuesday, the Home Ministry said.

The wind speed of a cyclonic storm is 80-90 kilometres per hour with wind gusting up to 100 kmph. In case of an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm', the wind speed goes up to 170-180 kmph and could gain the speed of 195 kmph.&nbsp;

Light to moderate rainfall at a few places is very likely over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha on Thursday.

The precipitation is likely to increase intensity with 'heavy to very heavy rainfall' at isolated places over coastal Odisha and adjoining districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh from Thursday.

Light to moderate rainfall is expected at many places. Downpour at isolated places is also very likely to start over coastal districts of West Bengal from Friday, the IMD said.

The NCMC met here under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha and took stock of the situation. Chief secretaries, principal secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal attended the meeting through video conference.&nbsp;

Senior officers from the central ministries and agencies concerned also attended the meeting.

The NDRF and the Indian Coast Guard are coordinating with the state governments. The home ministry has assured the state governments to release in advance the first instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), as per their request, a Home Ministry statement said.

During the meeting, officers of all the state governments concerned confirmed their full preparedness to deal with any emerging situation arising out of the cyclonic storm.&nbsp;

Further, the state government highlighted that there is a seasonal ban on fishing in sea up to June 14 due to breeding season.

The state governments were advised to effectively enforce this ban.

According to the IMD, the cyclone's landfall over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is ruled out. However, the possibility of landfall in Odisha is under continuous watch. 
Regular warnings have been issued since April 25 to fishermen not to venture into the sea and asking those at sea to return to the coast.&nbsp;

The IMD has been issuing three hourly bulletins with latest forecast to all the states concerned. The Home Ministry is also in continuous touch with the state governments and the central agencies concerned, the statement said.

The NCMC meeting followed directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is closely monitoring the situation. The NCMC will meet again Tuesday to take stock of the situation.

Cyclone 'Fani' intensified into a 'severe cyclonic storm' Monday evening and is headed towards the Odisha coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. It could take a shape of an 'extremely severe cyclone' by Wednesday, prompting the government to put the National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Coast Guard on high alert, officials said.

Cyclone 'Fani' intensified into a 'severe cyclonic storm' Monday evening and is headed towards the Odisha coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. It could take a shape of an 'extremely severe cyclone' by Wednesday, prompting the government to put the National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Coast Guard on high alert, officials said. In its 9 pm bulletin, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said the storm currently lays about 620 km east-northeast of the Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, 770 km east-southeast of Chennai and 900 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam. "The Cyclonic storm 'Fani' (pronounced as Foni) over Southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 16 kilometres per hour in last six hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm. "It is very likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards till May 1 evening and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards towards the Odisha coast," the bulletin said. Severe Cyclonic ‘FANI’ is very likely to intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic during next 12 hrs & into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic during subsequent 24 hrs. To move northwestwards till 01st May evening and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards towards Odisha Coast. pic.twitter.com/8JrTkkiH6b — India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) April 29, 2019 × The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the country's top body to deal with emergency situation, Monday took stock of the situation arising out of cyclone 'Fani' and assured the state governments concerned of all assistance from the central government to face the storm. The NDRF and the Indian Coast Guard have been put on high alert and the fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea as cyclone 'Fani' is expected to intensify into a 'very severe storm' by Tuesday, the Home Ministry said. The wind speed of a cyclonic storm is 80-90 kilometres per hour with wind gusting up to 100 kmph. In case of an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm', the wind speed goes up to 170-180 kmph and could gain the speed of 195 kmph. Light to moderate rainfall at a few places is very likely over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha on Thursday. The precipitation is likely to increase intensity with 'heavy to very heavy rainfall' at isolated places over coastal Odisha and adjoining districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh from Thursday. Light to moderate rainfall is expected at many places. Downpour at isolated places is also very likely to start over coastal districts of West Bengal from Friday, the IMD said. The NCMC met here under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha and took stock of the situation. Chief secretaries, principal secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal attended the meeting through video conference. Senior officers from the central ministries and agencies concerned also attended the meeting. The NDRF and the Indian Coast Guard are coordinating with the state governments. The home ministry has assured the state governments to release in advance the first instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), as per their request, a Home Ministry statement said. During the meeting, officers of all the state governments concerned confirmed their full preparedness to deal with any emerging situation arising out of the cyclonic storm. Further, the state government highlighted that there is a seasonal ban on fishing in sea up to June 14 due to breeding season. The state governments were advised to effectively enforce this ban. According to the IMD, the cyclone's landfall over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is ruled out. However, the possibility of landfall in Odisha is under continuous watch. Regular warnings have been issued since April 25 to fishermen not to venture into the sea and asking those at sea to return to the coast. The IMD has been issuing three hourly bulletins with latest forecast to all the states concerned. The Home Ministry is also in continuous touch with the state governments and the central agencies concerned, the statement said. The NCMC meeting followed directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is closely monitoring the situation. The NCMC will meet again Tuesday to take stock of the situation.

Cyclone Fani has intensified into 'severe cyclonic storm': IMD

&nbsp;The fire on&nbsp;MT Genessa oil tanker, that started on Wednesday evening,&nbsp;has been doused completely.&nbsp;

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Earlier visuals of fire being doused on MT Genessa oil tanker, 15 nautical miles off Deendayal Port. Now the flames have been doused completely. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/H8xwLlnzwU">pic.twitter.com/H8xwLlnzwU</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953911723467055104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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MT Genessa, 183 metres in length and a&nbsp;draft of 10 metres, was carrying 30,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel off the coast in Gujarat.&nbsp;

The tanker was anchored about 15 nautical miles off Deendayal Port in Kandla.

It caught fire Wednesday evening at around 6 pm.

The Indian Coast Guard had rescued 26 members from the&nbsp;tanker, however, two&nbsp;of the crew members sustained burn injuries.&nbsp;

The Gujarat Defence ministry had said earlier that no sign of spilling was seen in the water.&nbsp;

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The Indian Coast Guard had rescued 26 members from the tanker, however, two of the crew members sustained burn injuries

The fire on MT Genessa oil tanker, that started on Wednesday evening, has been doused completely. Earlier visuals of fire being doused on MT Genessa oil tanker, 15 nautical miles off Deendayal Port. Now the flames have been doused completely. #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/H8xwLlnzwU — ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018 × MT Genessa, 183 metres in length and a draft of 10 metres, was carrying 30,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel off the coast in Gujarat. The tanker was anchored about 15 nautical miles off Deendayal Port in Kandla. It caught fire Wednesday evening at around 6 pm. The Indian Coast Guard had rescued 26 members from the tanker, however, two of the crew members sustained burn injuries. The Gujarat Defence ministry had said earlier that no sign of spilling was seen in the water.

Fire on MT Genessa oil tanker doused

The Indian Coast Guard rescued 26 members from an oil tanker,&nbsp;MT Genessa after it caught fire on Wednesday evening.&nbsp;

However, two&nbsp;of the crew members sustained burn injuries.&nbsp;

MT Genessa, 183 metres in length and a&nbsp;draft of 10 metres, was carrying 30,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel off the coast in Gujarat.

The fire started at around 6 pm in the evening.

A defence spokesperson has said that the Indian Coast Guard Interceptor Boat C-403 along with the maritime security agency&#39;s pollution control team were involved in controlling the fire.

The coast guard plans to cordon the vessel to avoid oil spillage.

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Indian Coast Guard rescued 26 crew members of MT Genessa oil tanker after fire broke out on it while anchored 15 nautical miles off Deendayal Port Kandla, this evening, 2 members suffered minor burns. Coast Guard to cordon the vessel to avoid oil spillage. (file pic) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/mIYTQT3K4O">pic.twitter.com/mIYTQT3K4O</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953675639709622272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Coast Guard rescued 26 crew members of MT Genessa oil tanker after fire broke out on it while anchored 15 nautical miles off Deendayal Port Kandla, this evening, 2 members suffered minor burns. Coast Guard to cordon the vessel to avoid oil spillage. (Source:Gujarat Defence PRO) <a href="https://t.co/EyAausB8b3">pic.twitter.com/EyAausB8b3</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953695591220916224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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MT Genessa, 183 metres in length and a draft of 10 metres, was carrying 30,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel off the coast in Gujarat

The Indian Coast Guard rescued 26 members from an oil tanker, MT Genessa after it caught fire on Wednesday evening. However, two of the crew members sustained burn injuries. MT Genessa, 183 metres in length and a draft of 10 metres, was carrying 30,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel off the coast in Gujarat. The fire started at around 6 pm in the evening. A defence spokesperson has said that the Indian Coast Guard Interceptor Boat C-403 along with the maritime security agency's pollution control team were involved in controlling the fire. The coast guard plans to cordon the vessel to avoid oil spillage. Indian Coast Guard rescued 26 crew members of MT Genessa oil tanker after fire broke out on it while anchored 15 nautical miles off Deendayal Port Kandla, this evening, 2 members suffered minor burns. Coast Guard to cordon the vessel to avoid oil spillage. (file pic) #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/mIYTQT3K4O — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2018 × Coast Guard rescued 26 crew members of MT Genessa oil tanker after fire broke out on it while anchored 15 nautical miles off Deendayal Port Kandla, this evening, 2 members suffered minor burns. Coast Guard to cordon the vessel to avoid oil spillage. (Source:Gujarat Defence PRO) pic.twitter.com/EyAausB8b3 — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2018 ×

Oil tanker catches fire off Gujarat coast, Indian coast guard rescues crew

Following a search operation&nbsp;yet another body of a crew member&nbsp;was recovered&nbsp;in the&nbsp;of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/six-bodies-recovered-in-pawan-hans-helicopter-crash-29442">Pawan Hans helicopter crash</a>.

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ONGC&#39;s Pawan Hans helicopter crash: Body of another crew member recovered during search operations. Parts of the helicopter like Rotor Blades, Main Gear Box, Tail Gear Box, both engines, Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) etc also recovered. <a href="https://t.co/gahSi0JC4L">pic.twitter.com/gahSi0JC4L</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/952895814141177856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Along with the body parts of the helicopter like rotor blades, main gearbox, tail gearbox, both engines, Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) etcetera were&nbsp;also&nbsp;recovered.

It may be recalled that five employees of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and two pilots were onboard in the chopper when it crashed on the Arabian sea about 55 km northwest of Juhu airport, Mumbai on Saturday.

Six bodies were already recovered yesterday.&nbsp;

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has identified four bodies, Pankaj Garg, through his identity card and his colleagues V K Bindu Lal Babu, Jose Antony and P N Sreenivasan through family members.&nbsp;

Four Indian Naval ships (Teg, Tarasa, T 11 and T 45) were undertaking the search in the area.

The chopper, bearing registration number VT-PWA, was scheduled to land at the designated oil rig at Mumbai High at 11 am. Five employees of state-owned ONGC and two pilots were onboard the chopper.

A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is expected to reach Mumbai from Delhi on Sunday to probe the incident.

According to media reports, the cause of the accident could an aircraft engine mechanical failure or pilot disorientation owing to haze and poor visibility.&nbsp;

Along with the body parts of the helicopter like Rotor Blades, Main Gear Box, Tail Gear Box, both engines, Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) etc were also recovered

Following a search operation yet another body of a crew member was recovered in the of Pawan Hans helicopter crash. ONGC's Pawan Hans helicopter crash: Body of another crew member recovered during search operations. Parts of the helicopter like Rotor Blades, Main Gear Box, Tail Gear Box, both engines, Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) etc also recovered. pic.twitter.com/gahSi0JC4L — ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2018 × Along with the body parts of the helicopter like rotor blades, main gearbox, tail gearbox, both engines, Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) etcetera were also recovered. It may be recalled that five employees of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and two pilots were onboard in the chopper when it crashed on the Arabian sea about 55 km northwest of Juhu airport, Mumbai on Saturday. Six bodies were already recovered yesterday. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has identified four bodies, Pankaj Garg, through his identity card and his colleagues V K Bindu Lal Babu, Jose Antony and P N Sreenivasan through family members. Four Indian Naval ships (Teg, Tarasa, T 11 and T 45) were undertaking the search in the area. The chopper, bearing registration number VT-PWA, was scheduled to land at the designated oil rig at Mumbai High at 11 am. Five employees of state-owned ONGC and two pilots were onboard the chopper. A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is expected to reach Mumbai from Delhi on Sunday to probe the incident. According to media reports, the cause of the accident could an aircraft engine mechanical failure or pilot disorientation owing to haze and poor visibility.

Pawan Hans helicopter crash: One more body found

The Indian Coast Guard on Sunday traced the Voice Data Recorder (VDR) of the Pawan Hans helicopter which crashed off the Mumbai coast yesterday, killing five out of seven people onboard.

The Navy has also widened its search operations for the other two missing crew members of the chopper.

&quot;Search for the missing ONGC crew continues till recovery. Aircraft Voice Data Recorder (VDR) has been recovered and recovery of balance debris is in progress,&quot; said a Coast Guard spokesperson.

The helicopter crashed off Mumbai minutes after it took off for the state-owned company&rsquo;s oil installation in the Arabian sea.

The Navy spokesperson informed that the two Fast Interceptor Craft, INS Tarasa and the frigate INS Teg, were coordinating the search in the area along with Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ships Samudra Prahari, Achook and Agrim.&nbsp;

The INS Makar (a twin-hulled catamaran hydrography ship) from Karwar was also en route to area to augment search efforts, he said.

The ICGS Samrat also sailed out from Mumbai to join the search and rescue operations, he said.

Besides, ICG Dornier from Daman, IN Seaking 42 B from Shikra (helibase) and nine ONGC Vessels were also deployed for search in the area, he said.

The ONGC vessel TAG 15 undertaking side scan sonar operations have found some debris 600 yards from the wreckage position, the spokesperson said.

OSV TAG-15 (with side scan sonar) and OSV Samudra Sevak&nbsp;are currently undertaking survey in the area all other&nbsp;IN, ICG and ONGC assets are participating in the search for locating the missing crew and debris of aircraft.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The diving team from Samudra Sevak vessel is preparing to undertake the search while the team from INS Teg is kept on standby, he said.

The helicopter crash is not the first accident in ONGC&#39;s history. In August 2003, a Mi-172 helicopter crashed off the Mumbai coast killing 27 people and pilot on-board.

Pawan Hans Ltd said in a statement that the French-made Dauphin SA 365N3 helicopter met with an accident and the chopper crash is being probed by the aviation regulation DGCA

The crash killed five out of seven people onboard

The Indian Coast Guard on Sunday traced the Voice Data Recorder (VDR) of the Pawan Hans helicopter which crashed off the Mumbai coast yesterday, killing five out of seven people onboard. The Navy has also widened its search operations for the other two missing crew members of the chopper. "Search for the missing ONGC crew continues till recovery. Aircraft Voice Data Recorder (VDR) has been recovered and recovery of balance debris is in progress," said a Coast Guard spokesperson. The helicopter crashed off Mumbai minutes after it took off for the state-owned company’s oil installation in the Arabian sea. The Navy spokesperson informed that the two Fast Interceptor Craft, INS Tarasa and the frigate INS Teg, were coordinating the search in the area along with Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ships Samudra Prahari, Achook and Agrim. The INS Makar (a twin-hulled catamaran hydrography ship) from Karwar was also en route to area to augment search efforts, he said. The ICGS Samrat also sailed out from Mumbai to join the search and rescue operations, he said. Besides, ICG Dornier from Daman, IN Seaking 42 B from Shikra (helibase) and nine ONGC Vessels were also deployed for search in the area, he said. The ONGC vessel TAG 15 undertaking side scan sonar operations have found some debris 600 yards from the wreckage position, the spokesperson said. OSV TAG-15 (with side scan sonar) and OSV Samudra Sevak are currently undertaking survey in the area all other IN, ICG and ONGC assets are participating in the search for locating the missing crew and debris of aircraft. The diving team from Samudra Sevak vessel is preparing to undertake the search while the team from INS Teg is kept on standby, he said. The helicopter crash is not the first accident in ONGC's history. In August 2003, a Mi-172 helicopter crashed off the Mumbai coast killing 27 people and pilot on-board. Pawan Hans Ltd said in a statement that the French-made Dauphin SA 365N3 helicopter met with an accident and the chopper crash is being probed by the aviation regulation DGCA

ONGC chopper crash: Voice data recorder traced

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has apprehended a Pakistan boat comprising of six crew on Friday.&nbsp;

The Pakistan&nbsp;nationals have been arrested for&nbsp;illegally fishing in Indian waters.&nbsp;

The ICG spotted the ship while it was patrolling close to International Maritime Boundary Line.&nbsp;

The Pakistani boat &#39;Sindh Singhar&#39;, six crew members and the 300 kg fish has been handed over to the local Marine Police for further investigation.&nbsp;

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Pakistani boat apprehended for illegally fishing in Indian waters by the boarding party of ICGS C - 408, yesterday. Crew of the ship detected the boat while patrolling close to International Maritime Boundary Line <a href="https://t.co/6C3I0HxCpr">pic.twitter.com/6C3I0HxCpr</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946766235890458624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The boat &#39;Sindh Singhar&#39; was operating with six crew onboard, all Pakistani nationals and carrying 300 kg fish; fishing boat along with six crew have been handed over to local Marine Police for further investigation. <a href="https://t.co/rfikBgxlXN">pic.twitter.com/rfikBgxlXN</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946766553550221313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The arrest has come after<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-releases-144-indian-fishermen-via-attari-wagah-border-28082" target="_blank"> Pakistan released 144 Indian fishermen&nbsp;</a>via the Attari border on humanitarian grounds.

The fishermen had allegedly entered and fished in Islamabad&#39;s territorial waters.

The Pakistan?nationals have been arrested for?illegally fishing in Indian waters

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has apprehended a Pakistan boat comprising of six crew on Friday. The Pakistan nationals have been arrested for illegally fishing in Indian waters. The ICG spotted the ship while it was patrolling close to International Maritime Boundary Line. The Pakistani boat 'Sindh Singhar', six crew members and the 300 kg fish has been handed over to the local Marine Police for further investigation. Pakistani boat apprehended for illegally fishing in Indian waters by the boarding party of ICGS C - 408, yesterday. Crew of the ship detected the boat while patrolling close to International Maritime Boundary Line pic.twitter.com/6C3I0HxCpr — ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2017 × The boat 'Sindh Singhar' was operating with six crew onboard, all Pakistani nationals and carrying 300 kg fish; fishing boat along with six crew have been handed over to local Marine Police for further investigation. pic.twitter.com/rfikBgxlXN — ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2017 × The arrest has come after Pakistan released 144 Indian fishermen via the Attari border on humanitarian grounds. The fishermen had allegedly entered and fished in Islamabad's territorial waters.

Indian Coast Guards apprehend 6 Pakistan nationals from Indian waters

FIR has been filed against Indian Coast Guard under various sections of the Arms Act by Mandapam Coastal Security.

The FIR was based on the complaint of Indian Fisherman alleging that Indian Coast Guard fired at the Indian fisherman in Rameshwaram.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a>: Mandapam Coastal Security group files FIR against Indian Coast Guard under various sections of the Arms Act in connection with alleged firing on Indian fishermen.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/930390504650371073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Fisherman Association has decided to begin a strike immediately and will hold a protest on November 16.&nbsp;

Also, the association has demanded the arrest of an official responsible, and compensation for the injured fisherman.

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Alleged firing on fishermen by Indian Coast Guard: Rameswaram Fishermen Association passes 3 resolutions - to begin a strike immediately, hold a protest on 16th November to demand arrest of official responsible for the firing and demand compensation for the injured fishermen.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/930376999297728513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Indian Coast Guard has denied the reports of firing on Indian Fisherman or causing any injury or bruises inflicted by any Coast Guard Personnel. Reported by ANI

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Indian Coast Guard denies reports of them firing on Indian fishermen in Rameswaram. It also added that no injuries or bruises have been inflicted by any Coast Guard personnel by firing or otherwise firing incident as alleged.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/930374554001711104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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FIR has been filed against Indian Coast Guard under various sections of the Arms Act by Mandapam Coastal Security

FIR has been filed against Indian Coast Guard under various sections of the Arms Act by Mandapam Coastal Security. The FIR was based on the complaint of Indian Fisherman alleging that Indian Coast Guard fired at the Indian fisherman in Rameshwaram. #UPDATE: Mandapam Coastal Security group files FIR against Indian Coast Guard under various sections of the Arms Act in connection with alleged firing on Indian fishermen. — ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2017 × The Fisherman Association has decided to begin a strike immediately and will hold a protest on November 16. Also, the association has demanded the arrest of an official responsible, and compensation for the injured fisherman. Alleged firing on fishermen by Indian Coast Guard: Rameswaram Fishermen Association passes 3 resolutions - to begin a strike immediately, hold a protest on 16th November to demand arrest of official responsible for the firing and demand compensation for the injured fishermen. — ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2017 × Indian Coast Guard has denied the reports of firing on Indian Fisherman or causing any injury or bruises inflicted by any Coast Guard Personnel. Reported by ANI Indian Coast Guard denies reports of them firing on Indian fishermen in Rameswaram. It also added that no injuries or bruises have been inflicted by any Coast Guard personnel by firing or otherwise firing incident as alleged. — ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2017 ×

Tamil Fisherman say Indian Coast Guard fired at them

Indian Coast Guard Ship Samudra Pavak intercepted and apprehended a Merchant Vessel carrying approximately 1,500 kilos of heroin&nbsp;valued at about 3500 Crore off the coast of Gujarat.

Based on intelligence inputs, the vessel was intercepted at around 12:00 hrs on July 29.&nbsp;

This is the largest single haul of narcotics seized till date,&nbsp;Indian navy spokesman D.K.Sharma said in a statement.

After being intercepted off the Gujarat coast,&nbsp;the vessel was brought to the coastal city of Porbandar on Sunday, the statement said.

Joint investigation of the vessel by the ICG, IB, Police, Customs, Navy and other agencies is currently underway.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: ICG Ship apprehended Merchant Vessel carrying approx 1500 kgs of heroin valued at about ?3500 crores off the coast of Gujarat. <a href="https://t.co/FB5YXlx4ju">pic.twitter.com/FB5YXlx4ju</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/891571983539781632">July 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Based on intelligence inputs, a Merchant Vessel carrying 1,500 kilos of heroine was intercepted at around 12:00 hrs on July 29

Indian Coast Guard Ship Samudra Pavak intercepted and apprehended a Merchant Vessel carrying approximately 1,500 kilos of heroin valued at about 3500 Crore off the coast of Gujarat. Based on intelligence inputs, the vessel was intercepted at around 12:00 hrs on July 29. This is the largest single haul of narcotics seized till date, Indian navy spokesman D.K.Sharma said in a statement. After being intercepted off the Gujarat coast, the vessel was brought to the coastal city of Porbandar on Sunday, the statement said. Joint investigation of the vessel by the ICG, IB, Police, Customs, Navy and other agencies is currently underway. #WATCH: ICG Ship apprehended Merchant Vessel carrying approx 1500 kgs of heroin valued at about ?3500 crores off the coast of Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/FB5YXlx4ju — ANI (@ANI_news) July 30, 2017 ×

Heroin worth Rs 35,000 crore seized off Gujarat coast

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