New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Thursday will inaugurate the 11th edition of the Indian Coast Guard’s National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise & Workshop (SAREX-24) in Kochi.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Director General S Paramesh, who is also the National Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinating Authority, will be among the dignitaries attending the event, an official statement said.
The theme of SAREX-24, from November 28-29, will be ‘Enhancing Search and Rescue capabilities through Regional collaboration,’ as it signifies ICG’s commitment to provide succour during large-scale contingencies regardless of location, nationality, or circumstances in the Indian Search & Rescue Region and beyond.
The first day of the event will feature various programmes, including a tabletop exercise, workshop, and seminars involving the participation of senior officials from government agencies, ministries, and armed forces; various stakeholders; and foreign delegates.
On the second day, the sea exercise involving two large-scale contingencies will be carried out off the Kochi coast with the participation of ships and aircraft of the ICG, Navy, Indian Air Force, passenger vessels; and tugs from the Cochin Port Authority and boats from Customs.
The first contingency will simulate distress onboard a passenger vessel having 500 passengers onboard, while the second scenario will depict the ditching of civil aircraft with 200 passengers.
The response matrix in the sea exercise will involve various methods to evacuate distressed passengers, wherein the advent of new-age technology using satellite-aided distress beacons, drones to deploy a life buoy, air-droppable life rafts, and operation of remote-controlled life buoys will be demonstrated.
The exercise is designed not only to evaluate the efficiency of operations and coordination with national stakeholders but also to aptly focus on cooperative engagements with the littorals and friendly countries.
Over the years, ICG has evolved as a premier maritime agency, rightfully steering the government’s efforts towards a stable and effective maritime search and rescue construct.
An MoU was signed with Indian Ocean Rim Association member states for coordinating SAR in the Indian Ocean Region, and ICG is the implementing agency.
