Rajnath Singh inaugurates new maritime rescue coordination centre in Chennai

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates new Coast Guard facilities in Chennai, enhancing maritime rescue and pollution response capabilities.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a new Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the Coast Guard in Chennai on Sunday. During an event in Chennai, he also inaugurated two new Coast Guard units -- the Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre (RMPRC) at Chennai and a Coast Guard Air Enclave in Puducherry through video conferencing mode.

The MRCC located near the Napier Bridge was constructed at a cost of ₹26.10 crore and would be be an iconic structure facilitating the enhanced coordination for rescue of mariners and fishermen in distress at sea, an official release said. The MRCC has been installed with latest equipment for distress monitoring through terrestrial and satellite systems and is also equipped with advanced communication systems.

The new MRCC would serve as the nerve centre for coordinating all maritime rescue operations on the east coast of India and beyond, ensuring safety and well-being of our fishermen and mariners. The RMPRC based at Chennai Port premises is the first-of-its-kind facility for coordinating response against marine pollution, particularly oil and chemical pollution, in waters adjoining the coastal Sates in the Indian Ocean Region.

The Coast Guard Air Enclave in Puducherry would be equipped with Chetak and Advanced Light Helicopter Squadrons. Both these helicopters are indigenously built and can to carry out maritime patrol, search and rescue and other such missions both from land as well as from Coast Guard ships patrolling at sea, it said.

Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Central Chennai MP Dayanidhi Maran, North Chennai MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy, Coast Guard’s Regional Commander (East) Inspector General Donny Michael and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.