ICG Samudra Paheredar & Vietnam Coast Guard's Marine pollution training

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Samudra Paheredar arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and conducted joint training with the Vietnamese Coast Guard on tackling marine oil pollution in the high seas.

The Samudra Paheredar ship, specially designed to tackle oil spills in seas, is on a three-nation tour of the ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries of the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei from 25 March to 12 April 2024 as part of the India ASEAN Initiative for Marine Pollution. Before arriving in Vietnam, the Samudra Paheredar ship visited Manila and the Philippines.

After its Vietnam visit, it will make its final port call in Muara, Brunei.

India ASEAN Initiative for Marine Pollution

• During the first India -ASEAN Defence Minister meeting held on 22 November 2022 at Siem Reap, Cambodia, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of India-ASEAN relations in 2022, the Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh proposed the India ASEAN Initiative for Marine Pollution.
• He proposed the establishment of an ASEAN-India Marine Pollution Response Centre at Chennai by the Indian Coast Guard to address and supplement regional efforts to deal with marine pollution incidents. 
• Rajnath Singh also announced the ‘ASEAN-India Initiative on Marine Plastic Pollution’. He proposed channelising the energy of the youth of both India and ASEAN nations to address the critical issue of marine pollution. He also suggested coordination between the NCC and the equivalent youth organisations of ASEAN countries for a collective effort in this direction in the region.

Objective of Samudra Paheredar's Visit to ASEAN Countries 

• The main objective of the Indian Coast Guards ship Samudra Paheredar visit to these three countries is to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the Indian Coast Guards and the Coast Guards of the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei.
• To showcase the ability of the Indian ship to fight oil spills in the seas.
• To showcase the Indian shipbuilding capacity to these countries, the ship Samudra Paheredar was built in India.
• The ICG Samudra Paheredar has 25 National Cadet Corps (NCC) onboard. These NCC cadets will participate in a Walkathon and Beach Cleanup activities in collaboration with local youth organisations.

ICG Samudra Paheredar 

• ICG Samudra Paheredar is the second indigenously built marine pollution control vessel of the Indian Coast Guard.
• The Indian Coast Guard's first indigenously built marine pollution control vessel, Samudra Prahari, was commissioned in 2010 and is permanently stationed on the west coast of the country in Mumbai.
• ICG Samudra Paheredar was commissioned at Surat in 2012 and is stationed in Visakhapatnam. 
• The ship is equipped with an infrared surveillance system that can detect even tiny oil spoils in the seas.
• 11 officers and 100 other members man the ship, with a Chetak helicopter on board.

 Director General of Indian Coast Guard -  Rakesh Pal