Marine Police undergo training in vessel navigation

Sea conditions change drastically but the training provided to senior officers -Inspectors – of the AP Marine Police by the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training (CIFNET) would keep them in good stead and help tackle the difficult conditions, CIFNET Director R.C. Sinha said at the valedictory function of the training programme here on Friday.

Maintaining security was one aspect and reacting in time on the sea was another. Sea was not like a road on which one could stop or start easily and this required the right people with good training, Mr. Sinha told the police officers. Everyone in the Marine Police must be on the sea for at least 10 days in a month, he said.

Referring to the Marine Police, he suggested that some of its boats could be kept with CIFNET by turns for maintenance and training since maintenance was a difficult job.

Fifteen Inspectors of the Marine Police from different police stations along the AP coast received certificates after completing their short-term training programme on vessel navigation and engineering.

Surveyor in-charge cum DDG (tech) of Mercantile Marine Department Jayant Mukhopadhaya wanted the Marine Police to also take up protection of marine life as they were also responsible for taking action against polluting vessels.

Chief Technical Officer of Coast Guard Commandant Manish Bahl professional excellence was required more while discharging duty on the sea. Head of Office of CIFNET’s Visakhapatnam unit A.K. Choudhury said this was one of the best courses designed by his organisation and set a benchmark. Home Guards and some constable attended the training in the first batch. The present batch of police officers evinced keen interest and came up with good queries, he said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police of Marine Police K.V.R. Prasad said 15 Marine Police stations became operational from October last year and the force has now 500 personnel drawn from the civil police. Retired Navy and Coast Guard personnel were recruited as the crew and IG of Marine Police Srinivasa Reddy was planning to take in CIFNET trained youngsters, Mr. Prasad said.

He also said some of the Home Guards trained in the earlier batch had recently caught Sri Lankan fishermen along with their boat off AP coast for illegally entering the Indian waters.

One of the trainees Rudrasekhar said the training helped them understand more about navigation and marine engineering.

Senior Instructors H. Bisoyi and S.B. Rangari and Instructor M. Rangaraju also spoke about the training programme.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Special Correspondent / Visakahapatnam – December 07th, 2013