Mangalore: Indian Coast Guard insist fishermen to use Distress Alert Transmitter

Mangalore, 26 Jun 2012: Indian Coast Guard insisted fishermen to install distress alert transmitter (DAT) in fishing boats for personal safety as well as for the security of the nation.

 

Coast Guard commandant KL Arun said that the DAT developed by the Indian Space Research Organisaiton (ISRO) will be of great use in case of any emergency situation fishermen face on the sea.

 

 

"Fishermen may use the DAT whenever they are in distress to seek help form the Coast Guards. They can send distress message to the Coast Guard headquarters whenever they are in trouble by just pressing any one of the four buttons in the DAT equipment. Fishermen may press the first button of DAT if there is a fire in the boat and second button for medical help. If they notice any leakage in the boat, then they may press the third button and the fourth button for any type of accidents. The central server at Chennai will receive the distress message with details of the boat, location with its latitude, longitude and the type of distress. Immediately the message will be passed on to the nearest Coast Guard headquarters and a team will be rushed to the spot to rescue the boat in distress," Arun explained.

 

Currently, the DAT equipments are being distributed free through fisheries department. However, later the equipment that costs around Rs 10,000 will be distributed to fishermen at subsidized rate, he said adding that the Coast Guards are ready to act swiftly to rescue with its vessels, tugs, buoys, life jackets and other equipment.

 

Coast Guard headquarters commandant RK Sharma said that fishermen can play a major role in the security of the coast as well as the nation. "Inform the Coast Guards or the Coastal Security police whenever you find any suspicious act on the sea. DAT can be used to send messages whenever fishermen spot boats of enemies," he added.