The Indian Coast Guard on Tuesday commissioned a new station at Nizampatnam, 60 km away from Guntur.
Indian Coast Guard Director General Vice-Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal was the chief guest at the inaugural function. The commemorative inscription commissioning the new ICGS was opened by Rachana Thapliyal, wife of Mr. Thapliyal in the presence of Commander, Coast Guard Region (East) Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma, Commander, Coast Guard District No 6 (AP) Deputy Inspector General J.S Sabharwal and Repalle MLA Anagani Satya Prasad.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Thapliyal inspected an impressive guard of honour by coast guard personnel. The Indian Coast Guard Station here is the 42nd in the country and fourth in Andhra Pradesh. Commandant A.K.S Panwar is the Commanding Officer at the ICGS. He is assisted by two Assistant Commandants. The office of coast guard station that became operational on February 27, 2013 is now being run from a make-shift building.
Addressing a meeting after commissioning the new coast guard station, Vice-Admiral Thapliyal said that the facility would provide logistic support to deal with issues pertaining to maritime, coastal security, besides carrying out monitoring, control and surveillance of merchant traffic and fishing trawlers.
“The new station will be equipped with facilities for berthing of vessels. The office and residential quarters of the coast guard station will come up in 10 acres allotted by State government,” he said.
Commander, Coast Guard Region, East Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma said that the Indian Coast Guard had been in the forefront when it came to surveillance, relief and rescue operations along the eastern coast spreading across 2,093 km spanning A.P, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.
