India: Coast Guard, relevant agencies re-validate plan to combat oil spills

An Oil spill or chemical spill at sea can prove disastrous for the environment, fisheries, shipping, tourism and the overall economy. As a major importer of crude oil and chemicals (which are brought in by Very large crude carrier-class ships) from various International sources, India faces the constant threat of possible oil spills within the country’s territorial waters and in the larger Indian Ocean region, dotted by littoral nation-states. As the lead agency for combating oil spills, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG)) conducted the 25th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) and preparedness meeting at Vadinar, Gujarat, on Thursday. This is a precursor to the multi-agency National Level Pollution Response Exercise (NATPOLREX), the 9th edition of which will be conducted Saturday, off the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat. 

Chaired by the Chief of the Indian Coast Guard, Director General Rakesh Pal, the NOSDCP and preparedness meeting was attended by more than 80 delegates from various Ministries of the Indian Government, representatives of Ports and Oil Handling companies. The national capabilities and collective preparedness to respond to any oil spill contingency in Indian waters were reviewed during the meeting. 

In his address, Director General Rakesh Pal, Director General Indian Coast Guard, who serves as the Chairman, of NOSDCP, committed that the ICG is cognizant and prepared to counter the threats to the region and its resources, including marine oil and chemical spills at sea. He added that as new vulnerabilities continue to emerge, the stakeholders must recognise the opportunity to enhance cooperation through stronger partnerships, effective coordination and imbibing best practices of the developing technologies. He also stated that Indian Coast Guard is indigenously building two more state-of-the-art Pollution Response Configured Specialized Vessels besides the three existing to further bolster Pollution Response Capacity.

At present, the Indian Coast Guard operates three Pollution Response Vessels, also known as Pollution Control Vessels – ICGS Samudra Prahari, ICGS Samudra Paheredar and ICGS Samudra Pavak. These vessels are fitted with specific equipment to deal with chemical and oil spills at sea. They also carry copious amounts of chemicals that are used for controlling and minimising the impact of oil spills and related disasters. The significance of conducting the 9th edition of NATPOLREX, off the Gulf of Kutch, lay in the fact that the region is home to numerous petrochemical facilities. 

In recent years, India had deployed both Coast Guard and Naval vessels to combat ship fires and possible maritime disasters that were unfolding off the Coast of Sri Lanka. While the Indian Coast Guard is responsible for guarding more than 2 million square kilometres of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone, it is also responsible for Search and Rescue operations over a region spanning more than 4 million square kilometres.