Indian Coast Guard Ship Strengthens Bilateral Maritime Cooperation In Philippines

The Pollution Control Vessel Samudra Paheredar of the Indian Coast Guard is in Manila Bay in the Philippines as part of a trip to ASEAN countries, officials said on Tuesday. They said the ship has special tools for controlling marine pollution and a Chetak Helicopter set up in a pollution response configuration to help contain and collect oil that has been spilled.

The ICG ship came to Manila Bay on March 25 for a three-day stay.

“The visit of a specialised Pollution Control Vessels is part of a broader initiative aimed at demonstration of ICG’s marine pollution response capabilities and shared concern and resolve towards marine pollution in the ASEAN region, besides bolstering bilateral cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG),” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

This is where the ICG ship is going from March 25 to April 12: to ASEAN countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei.

“This is the third time in a row that the Indian Coast Guard has sent troops to an ASEAN country.” ICG Pollution Control Vessels went to Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia earlier in 2023 as part of the project, it said.

The ship will stop at ports in Manila (Philippines), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), and Muara (Brunei) during this tour.

The demonstration at foreign ports includes training on how to deal with pollution and a hands-on show of different pieces of equipment, the statement said.

The ship also has 25 National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets on board to take part in the Indian government’s “Puneet Sagar Abhiyan” program and help it reach people around the world by working with partner countries, officials said.

As part of an exchange program, the NCC students will work with the ICG ship crew, staff from partner agencies, staff from the Indian embassy or mission, and local youth groups to clean up beaches and do other similar activities while the ship is in port, the statement said.

“This visit holds significant importance in strengthening bilateral relationships with key maritime agencies, including the Philippine Coast Guard, Vietnam Coast Guard, and Brunei Maritime agencies,” it added.

Coast Guards from the Philippines and Vietnam and the ICG have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together better and make the seas safer and more secure.

Over the years, these relationships have changed to make sure safety, security, and taking care of marine environmental issues in the area. Officials say that the visit will include professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, joint drills, as well as official and social events, such as visits to facilities that build capacity.

“Deputy Inspector General Sudhir Ravindran is in charge of the ICGS Samudra Paheredar, which is based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on the east coast of India.” The statement said that Samudra Paheredar has done many good Coast Guard tasks over the years, such as responding to pollution, keeping an eye on IMBL/EEZ areas, fighting transnational crimes, and maritime search and rescue (SAR).