Port Blair, Feb 24: Indian Coast Guard, under the aegis of HQ ANC conducted an International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Level-I course for the various stakeholders responsible for Pollution Response Operations in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The course was conducted by Coast Guard Pollution Response Team (A&N) from 14th to 18th February 2022 at Port Blair. Coast Guard is the Central Coordinating Agency for combating oil pollution in the Maritime Zones of India conducted the course in line with the guidelines of OPRC Convention 1990, to which India is a signatory.
Any oil spill in the seas around the A&N Islands will have a severe environmental impact on the marine ecosystem and adversely affect the dependent economic and tourism activities.
Accordingly, the IMO level courses are structured and conducted by A&N Command to provide effective training to all stakeholders for coordinated response operations against any marine oil spills at sea.
The training course was attended by participants and officials from the Department of Environment & Forests, Port Management Board (PMB), Andaman & Nicobar Pollution Control Committee (PCC), Marine Police Force (PMF), and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), apart from personnel of coast guard.
The course curriculum provided the participants an insight into the various facets of pollution response in terms of awareness, preparedness, response, legal regulations and practical exposure on the handling of pollution response equipment.
Certificates were presented to all the participants on completing the IMO Level-I training.
