The Ministry of Defence announced on Sunday that the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), in collaboration with various oil pollution response agencies, successfully conducted the National-level Pollution Response Exercise (NATPOLREX-IX). The exercise, held off the Vadinar coast of Gujarat on November 25, 2023, achieved its goal of assessing preparedness and coordination among resource agencies to respond to a marine oil spill, activating the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP).
The ninth edition of NATPOLREX included over 31 foreign observers and 80 delegates. Director General of Indian Coast Guard, DG Rakesh Pal, and Chairman of NOSDCP, reviewed the preparedness of all agencies during the exercise. Representatives from various ministries, central and coastal state governments, ports, oil-handling agencies, and stakeholders participated in the event.
The ICG utilized both surface and air platforms, featuring pollution response vessels, offshore patrol vessels, indigenous advanced light helicopter Mk-III, and Dornier aircraft configured for marine pollution response. The exercise also showcased India’s industrial capabilities under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, with major ports contributing maritime assets to demonstrate synergized efforts against marine pollution.
The Indian Coast Guard serves as the central coordinating authority for responding to oil spills in Indian waters. It assumed these responsibilities on March 7, 1986, and subsequently developed the NOSDCP, approved in 1993. Four pollution response centers have been established at Mumbai, Chennai, Port Blair, and Vadinar. Highlighting the importance of a robust national system for oil spill response, the Ministry of Defence emphasized the critical role in India’s preparedness, given that 75 percent of the country’s energy requirements are met through imported oil transported by sea, posing inherent risks that demand preventive measures.
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