Collector Sajjansingh R. Chavan distributed distress alert transmitters (DAT) to 10 fishermen at the Collectorate here on Thursday in the presence of Rajya Sabha MP A. Vijayakumar.
The government had allotted 250 DATs for distribution to the fishermen in the district. The first lot of 150 DATs arrived for distribution to the fishermen, officials said.
Mr. Chavan said the cost of each DAT was Rs. 15,240.
The equipment, which would be provided to the fishermen at a subsidised rate of Rs. 1,524, would be of great help to them, who might find themselves in distress while fishing on the high seas.
The subsidy would be shared by the Central and the State governments. By just pressing a button in the device, the fishermen on high seas could get assistance from Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in case of emergencies, an official said.
The nearest Indian Coast Guard vessel would receive the distress call through satellite link and rush to the rescue of the fishermen.
In-built GPS
The in-built Global Positioning System to transmit the position and time in formations would help the rescue ship reach the spot quickly.
Fisheries Department planned to distribute about 250 devices to the fishermen in the district under Fisheries Management for Sustainable Livelihood (FIMSUL) Scheme.
The equipment was procured and given to the department by Tamil Nadu State Apex Fishermen Cooperative Federation Ltd (TAFCOFED).
The fishermen said the device would be extremely helpful to them.
They could alert the MRCC in six seconds, they added.
Chairman of State Fishermen Cooperative Federation M. Xavier Manohar, Project Officer of TAFCOFED T. Nataraj, Fisheries Deputy Director (in-charge) C. Rubert Jothy, Assistant Director (Colachel) J. Nabiraj and ICG Pradhan Adhikari based at Thoothukudi Ranbir Chand were present.
