Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar berthed at Visakhapatnam

Samudra Paheredar, the

indigenously built second pollution control vessel of the

Coast Guard, arrived today at the eastern command here in

Andhra Pradesh, where it will be stationed permanently.The vessel is specially designed to mitigate any

marine oil spill, received a warm welcome from the Coast Guard

fraternity."Samudra Paheredar which is the second pollution

Control Vessel (LCV) was capable to deal with the emerging

security and environmental challenges in the maritime zones of

India," Commander of the ship and Deputy Inspector General of

Coast Guard Iqbal Singh Chauhan said after addressing a

gathering on the occasion of berthing the ship.The vessel was commissioned on July 20 by the chief of

Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma at Surat.The vessel has infrared surveillance system which can

detect any oil spill even of minor nature and thereafter

dissolve or disintegrate oil. Being a Coast Guard ship, it

could also carry out tasks such as surveillance, interdiction,

search and rescue and medical evacuation.The 95-meteres-long ship, displacing 4,300 tonnes with

a maximum speed of 20.5 knots in boost mode, has an endurance

of 6,500 nautical miles and can stay at sea for over 20 days,

Chauhan said."Samudra Paheredar is also equipped with Hi-sprint

booms and river booms, recovery devices like skimmers and side

sweeping arms and storage devices, oil recovery devices like

skimmers, besides side-sweeping arms and storage devices and

Oil Recovery Operation (ORO) tanks and inflatable barges," he

said.Chauhan said five high-speed boas, four water scooters

and two pollution control boats have been provided for other

Coast Guard charter of duties, including search and rescue."The ship is manned by 11 officers and 100 men who are

specialised in various streams," Chauhan added.The first pollution control vessel is stationed at

West Coast in Mumbai.