The senior diplomat on Thursday visited the Indian Coast Guard Headquarters (West) to express gratitude to the maritime security agency for saving Chinese mariners over the past two years, an official statement said.
There is no word yet on the progress of rescue operations for the accommodation barge SS-3 and the Sagar Bhushan oil rig.
A ferry carrying over 100 passengers capsized after being hit by a Navy craft off the Gateway of India in Mumbai, killing 13 people, including Navy personnel and two contractual naval employees. The ferry, 'Neel Kamal,' had a capacity of 90 passengers but was carrying over 100 people at the time of the accident. A case has been registered against the Navy craft driver at the Colaba police station. The mangled ferry has been taken to 'Bhaucha Dhakka' in south Mumbai.
In view of the coastal security lapse during 26/11 attack, the Indian Coast Guard has begun augmenting its off-shore strength and the force aims to have 150 ships and 100 twin-engine aircraft by 2020 in its fleet.
The Barge Ibis, a 2964 GRT vessel with a length of 65.58 metre and breadth of 32 metres, with 27 crew, was engaged in operations to prevent sea erosion,south of Old Port Mangalore.
The Squad seeks to counter China's power assertions in the South China Sea region.
The expansion plan will see the maritime security force acquire Advanced Light Helicopters, Twin-engine Helicopters and Maritime Multi-mission Surveillance Aircraft.
Two of the latest and largest Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels of the Coast Guard, built to operate with helicopters, have been found incapable of doing so because of faulty equipment on the ship.
As many as 24 people including eight fishermen were on Wednesday rescued by the navy and coast guard from the rough Arabian Sea in Maharashtra.
The two missing persons have been identified as 43-year-old Hansraj Bhati and seven-year-old Johan Mohammad Nisar Ahmed Pathan, the police said.
The Indian Coast Guard has arrested 21 Pakistani fishermen off Jakhau coast in Gujarat for illegally intruding into Indian waters and seized three fishing trawlers, an official said on Saturday.
The cyclone is expected to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday, a home ministry statement said.
The US has offered to lease out 12 of its Coast Guard's twin-engine helicopters to India which is looking to strengthen its coastal security following the Mumbai terror attacks. "As the acquisition process will take time, we want to have 12 twin-engine helicopters on lease for the Coast Guard. The US has offered to lease out its Coast Guard helicopters to us," a senior Defence Ministry official said in New Delhi on Monday.
The fire on a merchant vessel off the Karwar coast has been brought under control after more than 24 hours but one of the ship's 21 crew members was missing, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said on Saturday.
Taking strict action, the Coast Guard has ordered a Board of Inquiry against the commanding officer and crew of its warship which collided with a fishing trawler killing two fishermen off the coast of Goa on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pamban sea bridge, providing rail link between Rameswaram island and the mainland and flagged off the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service. The bridge is India's first vertical sea-lift bridge, spanning 2.08 kilometers, and includes a 72.5-meter-long vertical lift span that can be raised up to 17 meters, allowing the smooth passage of large ships while ensuring seamless train operations. Built at a cost of over Rs 550 crore, the bridge features stainless steel reinforcement, high-grade paint, and fully welded joints, enhancing durability while reducing maintenance requirements. The bridge is a remarkable blend of tradition and technology.
11 fishermen who were on board the Pakistani boat have been detained.
The new vessel is the fourth of its type used by the Coast Guard.
The CG and ATS personnel seized the boat Al Sakar which had 50 kg heroin on board, in the Arabian Sea, the official said.
They allegedly entered Pakistani territorial waters illegally.
More than 300 coastal security exercises have been conducted with state authorities post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack to beef up the country's security, Indian Coast Guard Director General K Natarajan said on Thursday.
India showcased its indigenous short-range tactical missile Pralay for the first time at the Republic Day parade on Sunday. The missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and has a range of 150 to 500 kms. The parade featured an array of other indigenously built missiles, surveillance systems, and weapon systems, reflecting India's growing military prowess. The DRDO displayed its latest innovations for national security, including the quick reaction surface-to-air missile, airborne early warning and control system, and drone detect, deter and destroy system.
The DG said that large number of fishermen from both countries had difficulties in identifying the maritime boundary.
Indian Coast Guard officials and their counterparts in Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency, after two-days of talks, finalised a Memorandum of Understanding that would be signed after endorsement by the respective governments.
India has proposed direct communication between the coast guards of both countries to address issues relating to fishermen and operational difficulties.
Five fishermen apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy for reportedly fishing in their territorial waters were brought back by the Indian Coast Guard on Monday after the island nation's naval personnel handed them over at the International Maritime Boundary Line.
The search for the missing Coast Guard Dornier aircraft and its three member crew continued for the seventh consecutive day on Monday with the involvement of multiple government agencies.
DIG B K Loshali has been removed as the chief of staff at northwest region.
With coastal security becoming a major area of conern, India's first Coast Guard Academy would be set up at Azheekkal near Kannur in north Kerala, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Sunday.
The Indian coast guard has rescued six crew members on board an Oman vessel Sakar-7, about 160 nautical miles off Porbandar coast in the Arabian sea.
Despite the Coast Guard's best efforts to discourage Indian fishermen from crossing into Sri Lankan waters, they continue to do so for a better catch.
"On August 16 night, just as we reached an abandoned government hospital for rest after four days of non-stop work, the local police officer, villagers and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) officials came to us, asking to save the life of a woman who had just given birth," he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that some of the 95 Indian fishermen released by Bangladesh after being arrested for illegally entering its waters were beaten up in jail. Banerjee, who was in Sagar Island to oversee preparations for the upcoming Ganga Sagar Mela, felicitated the fishermen and described them as "victims of circumstances". She said some fishermen were limping and told her they were assaulted in jail with their hands tied, resulting in injuries below the waist and legs. She also announced two schemes to help fishermen in the state: 'Samudra Sathi' and 'Matsajibi Bandhu'.
Indian Coast Guard has arrested 25 Sri Lankan fishermen on charges of trespassing and illegal fishing in Indian waters, official sources said on Monday. The fishermen were illegally fishing in five boats in Indian waters 48 nautical miles east of Velankanni when they were arrested on Sunday night, they said.
The Gujarat Coast Guard on Tuesday seized a Pakistani fishing boat off the Jakhao coast near Kutch and detained the seven people on board the boat."We have taken into custody a Pakistani fishing boat off the Jakhao coast. There were seven crew members in the boat. We have handed over the boat to the local police for investigation," Coast Guard officials said.The Coast Guard and the Navy have increased patrolling in the Indian waters.
Indian Coast Guard Commander of Western Region A Rajasekhar said, "Though infiltration through sea is possible, the Coast Guard is patrolling the coastline by air and water to thwart any potential threat."
Well-coordinated operation foils 26/11-like intrusion from sea. Nitin Gokhale reports.
Loshali had contradicted the government's claim that the crew of the intruding Pakistani boat had themselves set the vessel ablaze, leading to an explosion that caused the vessel to sink.
'There had been a proposal to put up a chain of radars across the coast of India and some of it has already been implemented. "You could spend billions of dollars, but the coast could still get breached.'
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