Indian Coast Guard Launches Second Indigenous Pollution Control Vessel

Panaji, Jul 24 (KNN) Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL) launched Samudra Prachet, the second and final indigenous Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) built for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), at its facility in Vasco, Goa, on Wednesday.

The vessel represents the completion of a two-ship project designed to enhance India's maritime pollution response capabilities.

The Ministry of Defence announced that the project incorporates 72 per cent indigenous components, strengthening national manufacturing capabilities while generating employment and skill development opportunities through local industry and micro, small, and medium enterprise participation.

The vessels are specifically designed to bolster the ICG's capacity to respond to oil spill incidents within India's Exclusive Economic Zone.

Samudra Prachet features advanced pollution response equipment, including two side-sweeping arms capable of collecting oil spills and a modern radar system for detecting oil slicks on the water surface.

The vessel's engineering enables it to recover oil across various viscosity levels, process contaminated water, analyse and separate pollutants, and store recovered oil in specialised onboard storage tanks.

During the launch ceremony, Director General of ICG Paramesh Sivamani emphasised the strategic importance of pollution control vessels in maritime operations.

He commended GSL and the supporting industries for their contributions to meeting the Coast Guard's major shipbuilding requirements through domestic production capabilities.

GSL Chairman and Managing Director Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay highlighted the platform's significance in advancing India's maritime environmental preparedness and response infrastructure.

The launch ceremony was attended by senior officials representing the Ministry of Defence, Indian Coast Guard, and Goa Shipyard Ltd.

The first pollution control vessel in this series was launched on August 29 of the previous year, marking the beginning of this indigenous capability development program.

(KNN Bureau)