Coast Guard rescues 100 at sea this year, receives weekly distress calls from fishermen

Panaji: Every week, the Indian Coast Guard in Goa rushes out on at least one rescue mission, most often to save fishermen in distress. So far this year more than 100 people were pulled to safety from the state’s waters, deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Indian Coast Guard, Manoj Bhatia, said on Thursday.“The frequent calls we get, especially during the rough seasons — when at times tourist boats operate at sea without permission — become a challenge for us. For us, rescue operations happen every week. At least one to two operations will take place and are generally distress calls from the fishing community,” said Bhatia.He said that no loss of life was reported out at sea in Goan waters in the last 12 months.The emergencies are not limited to boats at sea. With the onset of the tourist season, the Coast Guard is also called to assist in drowning cases.

“The first responders are usually the local police and state fire services. Only when it is beyond their control do they call us in,” Bhatia said.The Coast Guard has underlined the need for better safety practices among boat operators. “All vessels must be properly cleared, crew must be trained, and no untrained personnel should be on board. Lifesaving gear is essential and should always be carried,” he said.Bhatia was speaking while announcing plans to clean 20 beaches along Goa’s coastline as part of the International Coastal Clean-up Day on Sep 20. The Coast Guard plans to cover 20 beaches including Miramar, Colva, Baga and Arambol. He said Coast Guard personnel find a lot of trash out at sea. “Ghost nets and plastic bottles harm marine life. We are also running a ghost net retrieval drive in Goa that has been very successful,” said Bhatia.He also said the Coast Guard undertakes continuous patrols in Goa’s territorial waters and in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and stands ready to respond to all calls for assistance.