Third coast guard station to be opened today

To further strengthen the security along the coast, the state will get its third coast guard base station at Ratnagiri on Saturday.

Indian Coast Guard Station (ICGS), Ratnagiri, which is considered to be one of the most important CG stations to be set up, will be commissioned by director general of coast guard, vice-admiral Anil Chopra.

It is part of national maritime security council’s decision and will help keep a better surveillance on the state’s vulnerable and vast coastline.

The station will initially have two high-speed offshore patrol vessels and a high-speed interceptor at the jetty, which is being constructed. At present three to four other vessels, such as the Pollution Control Vessel Samudra Prahari and few other interceptors and OSPs, have been anchored near the Ratnagiri coast.

The station, which will be completed in three phases, is one of biggest projects of the coast guard in the country. Its first phase involves the setting up of the base station on the waterfront.

Other than base station, CG will also have a full-fledged air station at the base from where CG Dorniers will take-off and carry out reconnaissance, surveillance and rescue operations.
In the third phase, accommodation, offices for CG officers will be set up.

At present, CG has a huge chunk of land allotted by the state for the project. The biggest plot is around 137 acres where the air station will be set up. The second is around 34 acres where the base station will be set up and third is around seven to eight acres where offices will be set up.