The Hindu : `Sarojini Naidu' churns the seas

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 12, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

`Sarojini Naidu' churns the seas

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Jan. 11. The Fast Patrol Vehicle, Sarojini Naidu, of the Coast Guard Service (CGS) truly showed its class today when it took off from standstill to clock a neat 30 knots in matter of minutes as part of the demonstration organised in connection with the inauguration of the State's first Coast Guard Station at Vizhinjam.

The state-of-the-art vessel which uses jet propulsion technology churned the blue seas off the coast of Vizhinjam as it displayed its lethal speed which makes the `CGS Sarojini Naidu' a formidable presence on Indian waters. Designed primarily for anti-terrorist and anti-smuggling operations, the vessel can execute difficult manoeuvres at high speeds. Unlike most ships, it can grind to an abrupt halt. The armaments onboard include a 30 mm MEDAK cannon with a high rate of fire.

The Commanding Officer, S. K. Sarothra, said the high endurance diesel engines which drive the Kameva waterjets makes it possible for the ship to operate non-stop at high speeds for more than 10 hours. The various systems of the Global Positioning System (GPS) equipped vessel are fully integrated into the onboard computer. ``Sarojini Naidu is a non-polluting vessel. She has an onboard sewage treatment plant and the gases used for air-conditioning are ozone layer friendly'', he says.

The Coast Guard demonstration started off with an oil spill control demonstration. The coastguard ship `Varuna' stayed the imaginary oil-spill from spreading by lowering a `A Arrow Beam' while Chetak helicopters sprayed oil dispersants over the `spill'.

A life rescue operation involving a Dornier Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft, which dropped a lifeboat, was also part of the operation.

Inaugurating the Coast Guard Station, the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, said the Government would spare no efforts in setting up a new Coast Guard Station at Malabar.

He said the Coast Guard had a crucial role to play in protecting the marine environment of the country from unauthorised trawlers and poaching in Indian territorial waters. He said the Vizhinjam station was a gift to the coastal population and fisherfolk families who are under constant peril while plying their livelihood in the high seas. The Chief Minister said strict vigil was required along the 600 km coastline of the State.

The Fisheries Minister, Professor K. V. Thomas, said the Government would speed up the process for setting up the new Coast Guard station at Malabar. The Director General of the Coast Guard, Vice-Admiral, O. P. Bansal, thanked the State Government for providing the five acres of land for setting up the Coast Guard station infrastructure at Vizhinjam.

He said the service which is celebrating its Silver Jubilee this year is all set to start more stations along the sensitive stretches of the Indian Coastline.

The Senior Air Staff Officer of the Southern Air Command, Air Vice Marshall, C.S. Gill, Station Commander (Pangode Army Cantonment), Brigadier Ranjit Prasad, Commodore S. Pradeep, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Gopalakrishna Pillai, Secretary (Fisheries), A. K. Vijayakumar, the District Collector, E. Ayyappan, and the City Police Commissioner, Rajan Singh, were among those present.

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