NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, DEC 19
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has conducted a Regional Level Pollution Response Exercise titled “Swachchh Samundra NW-2019” at sea off Vadinar in Gulf of Kutch (GoK). The two-day exercise was conducted from December 17 to 18 this year to validate and reinforce response mechanism for oil pollution incidents and enable the ICG to fine tune the actions required in such eventualities with the provisions of NOS-DCP, a Defence PRO release said on Thursday.
In Phase – I on December 17, a tabletop exercise simulating oil spill from a tanker was conducted, while a real time demonstration of oil spill scenario was conducted during the second phase on December 18. The pollution response management or assets from oil handling agencies – VOTL Nayara Energy Ltd, IOCL, BORL, Reliance, Adani, HEML, DPT offshore oil terminal and GSFC from the region actively involved in both exercises.
According to the release, the agencies preparedness was reviewed by the Deputy Inspector General Mukesh Kumar Sharma, TM, Commander District Headquarters, Okha, along with Coast Guard Regional HQs (NW) team.
The ICG Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) ICGS Samudra Pavak, Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Arinjay and Interceptor Boats ICGS C-401, C-152, C-413 and C-161 along with integration of other stakeholders of the region participated in the exercise. All ICG efforts are being made with the synergy of stakeholders through such exercises to extend GoI policy of “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” to Maritime Zones of India.
The GoK region handles 70% of the oil imported by India and 11 Single point Moorings (SPMs) out of total 27 SPMs viz 41% in the country are located in this area. Thus, the exercise was planned to evaluate the preparedness for Pollution Response Operations for any such incident in this highly ecologically sensitive area.
The exercise evolutions included mobilization of pollution response resources by various stakeholders for combating a marine oil spill in the region, exercising Reporting procedures, testing of communication links, threat assessment and deployment of pollution response equipments for containment and recovery of spilt oil. Moreover, recovery of spilt oil by all stake holders, transfer facility by Pollution Control Boats and demonstration of Dispersant Spray capabilities by the Coast Guard Interceptor Boats, Fast Patrol Vessels, Pollution Control Vessels and Dornier aircraft were also undertaken.
The central and state agencies viz-a-viz DDMA Jamnagar and Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gujarat maritime board ports Bedi and Navlakhi along with Marine Police, Customs, Forest, Deendyal Port Trust offshore oil Vadinar terminal also participated actively in all phases of exercise.
