The interceptor boat at the deep water port in Kakinada
KAKINADA: Maritime security of East and West Godavari districts got strengthened with the dedication of high speed interceptor boat Charlie-141 by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in a function held at the deep water port on Monday.
The C-141 will be permanently based here along with a bigger inshore patrol vessel ICGS Ganga Devi to be inducted for deep water patrolling. The boat, which was built by ABG Shipyard Limited, Surat, has an endurance of 500 nautical miles and 45 knots maximum speed over a stay of two to three days at sea.
Participating as the chief guest, ICG DIG Commander M.A. Talha said C-141 would provide a fillip to maritime surveillance in K-G basin where Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and ONGC have struck massive oil and natural gas reserves. ICG was required to keep a tight vigil in these parts of the east coast to protect those crucial economic installations and ward off terrorist threats.
Deployment of ICG ships either from Chennai or Visakhapatnam wasted precious time. C-141 would now take care of the coastal security till reinforcements arrive in the event of any crisis. Any threat to coastal security could be quickly handled with the backup of State marine police and Customs authorities. Besides, the C-141 would also be helpful for the safety of fishermen. SP Y. Nagi Reddy said basing of C-141 was a milestone in the history of ICG Kakinada station.