The Union Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, inaugurated the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) jetty at Vadinar, located in Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district. The inauguration ceremony took place on Friday, where the Union Minister commended the ICG for its pivotal role in protecting the nation’s maritime interests within its jurisdiction.
The construction of the jetty, costing Rs 74 crore, was undertaken by the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) as a deposit work. The ICG statement revealed that the headquarters typically deploys 10 to 12 ships and two to three aircraft daily for security, surveillance, and maintaining a constant vigil at sea.
The ICG is not stopping at Vadinar. It is also constructing a 100-metre jetty extension at Porbandar, a 200-metre jetty at Okha, and a 125-metre jetty at Mundra in Gujarat. The ICG North-West regional headquarters, established on December 16, 2009, at Gandhinagar, oversees the execution of the Coast Guard’s mandated charter in the maritime zones of Gujarat, Daman and Diu.
Gujarat, with its 1,215-km long coastline, which constitutes one-sixth of the country’s total coastline, shares a notional International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with Pakistan. This makes the state’s maritime security a matter of national importance.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Director General Rakesh Pal, Inspector General A K Harbola, and representatives from the Central and state governments.
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