Indian Coast Guard

• 02 Feb 2022

Why in News

On 1^st February 2022, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 46^th Raising Day.

• ICG was established in August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 as an independent Armed force of India.
• As the fourth largest Coast Guard in the world, it has played a significant role in securing the Indian coasts and enforcing regulations in the maritime zones of India.

What are the Functions of ICG?

• Background:
  
  • It is an Armed Force, Search and Rescue and Maritime Law Enforcement agency under the Ministry of Defence.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • The concept of forming ICG came into being after the 1971 war.
  • The blueprint for a multidimensional Coast Guard was conceived by the visionary Rustamji Committee.
  • For effective command and control, the Maritime Zones of India are divided into five Coast Guard Regions, namely, North-West, West, East, North-East and Andaman & Nicobar, with the respective Regional Headquarters located at Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Port Blair. .
• Functions:
  
  • Preventing Smuggling: One of the primary duties of the ICG is prevention of smuggling through maritime routes.
    
    • It has jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India including contiguous zone and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
    • It is responsible for marine environment protection in maritime zones of India and is coordinating authority for response to oil spills in Indian waters.
  • Aid to Civil Authority: It has also rescued approximately 13,000 personnel till date during various ‘Aid to Civil Authority’ operations viz. assistance provided to civil authorities during floods, cyclones and other natural calamities; most recently during the recent floods in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.
    
    • It is also working in close coordination with Central and State agencies to put in place a robust coastal security mechanism.
  • Maritime Security: It is also collaborating with littoral countries to combat transnational maritime crimes and enhance maritime safety in its area of responsibility and in the Indian Ocean Region.
    
    • Under SAGAR' - Security and Growth for all in the Region & 'Neighbourhood First' policy, the ICG has nurtured professional relationships across oceans and established ties with countries in the Indian Ocean Region for Ocean Peacekeeping.
  • Role in Disaster Management: The ICG has successfully averted major ecological disasters and emerged as the ‘First Responder’ in the region.
    
    • For example, by undertaking a major fire-fighting and pollution response operation off the Sri Lanka coast, the most recent being ‘Sagar Aaraksha-II’ onboard Chemical carrier MV X-Press Pearl.

Source: PIB