Indian Coast Guard Station at Gopalpur commissioned

Indian Coast Guard Station (ICGS) Gopalpur, was commissioned on Tuesday. This ICGS was formally commissioned by the chief secretary of Odisha Bijay Kumar Patnaik at a function organised on ICGS campus at Chatrapur. Commandant of Army Air Defence College (AADC) Gopalpur, Lt Gen. V.K.Saxena, Commander Coast Guard Region (North- East) K.C.Pande and senior officers of administration, Army and Indian Navy attended this function. "The new CG station will definitely play a major role in coastal security as several port projects have been planned along the Odisha coast," Patnaik said. "The station will act as a hub for coastal security operations in the sea off Gopalpur and along South Odisha coast," said Pande. "The station will coordinate with different departments of the state government like fisheries, forest, police and district administration, Gopalpur port authorities and local fisherfolks to augment coastal surveillance security network along the Odisha coast," he added. The station at Gopalpur is assigned with the responsibility of coordination of various maritime operations like anti-poaching operation, search and rescue and pollution response (to give protection to Olive Ridley turtles), Pande added.

Commissioning of the Indian Coast Guard Station Gopalpur in Ganjam district (OdishaReporter.in)

The ICGS, Gopalpur would function under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (NE), Kolkata through the Commander Coast Guard District Headquarters-7 located at Paradeep. Commandant Ramendra Rajkamal has been appointed as the Commanding Officer of the station. This new Coast Guard station would enhance security of eastern coast as it is located between the ICGS at Paradeep and Visakhapatnam. The new station is part of ongoing efforts of Indian Coast Guard to strengthen maritime and coastal security and the assets based at Gopalpur. It would augment patrolling along the south Odisha coast for safeguarding Indian maritime interests.

It may be noted that Goplapur port which is being transformed into an all weather major port of Odisha would open up for cargo traffic in near future. Addressing during the commissioning ceremony, the chief secretary Mr Patnaik lauded efforts of the Indian Coast Guard in maintaining a high state of vigil off the Odisha coast. According to him, opening of a second ICGS on Odisha coast hinted at rapid development of the State. Development had boomed in the western coast during last century and it was now time for the eastern coast to rise to the tunes of development, he added.

Source: The Hindu, Times of India