By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai: The Indian Coast Guard(ICG) conducted Regional Level Pollution Response exercise (RPREX-2025) to simulate oil spill response and control measures, on December 26, off Mumbai, which included Presentations, lectures by various stakeholders and a Tabletop exercise.
The Initial planning conference (IPC) was conducted on December 18. The exercise tested the efficiency of pollution response capabilities of various stakeholders involved. Mumbai Port Authority, ONGC, Forest Dept (Mangroove Cell), Coastal Police, Fisheries dept, JSW Port, Angre Port, Central Industrial Security Force and Oil handling agencies participated in the exercise.
Indian Coast Guard regularly conducts Pollution Response Exercise in order to validate the preparedness of all the stakeholders in combating oil spill in accordance with National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Planning (NOSDCP).
In the exercise, a situation was developed wherein a distress call was received from a Motor Tanker vessel reporting an oil spill due to hole onboard, post collision with a fishing boat, leading to heavy spillage of crude oil into the sea. To combat the spill, a specialized Indian Coast Guard Pollution Control Vessel alongwith 02 additional ICG ships, were deployed in pollution response configuration. MbPA and ONGC also deployed their assets including a OSR vessels for combating the spill. The exercise also witnessed a largescale participation from stakeholders, fisheries dept, Dept. of forests and ensuring preparedness for undertaking pollution response measures.
With increasing maritime trade activities in Indian Ocean region, threat of marine pollution continues to be a risk to Indian Waters. Further gravity of the situation escalates once the oil reaches ashore. To fight such disaster of oil spill, a robust mechanism needs to be in place. Given the vast coastline of India, coordination and involvement of all the stakeholders is an inescapable requirement to effectively fight the oil pollution at sea. Marine Spill Response is a collective responsibility of both ICG and stakeholders. Indian Coast Guard has been designated as the Central Coordinating Authority for co-ordinating oil response in Indian waters and undertaking oil spill prevention and control.
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