No.16 Coast Guard District Headquarters was established at Tuticorin by Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Tamil Nadu in presence of Inspector General S Paramesh, PTM, TM, Commander, Coast Guard Region (East) on 22 February and dignitaries of Central and State Government at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, marking yet another important milestone in the Coast Guard efforts to augment the security mechanism in the coastal state of Tamil Nadu.
This Headquarters is the Second Coast Guard District Headquarters in Tamil Nadu, said an official release. Establishing of new District Headquarters is a part of ongoing efforts by the Indian Coast Guard to strengthen Maritime Security mechanism of Eastern Seaboard in general and maritime waters of Southern Tamil Nadu in particular.
The Coast Guard District Headquarters-16 will function under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (East) and will coordinate and undertake operations in its Area of Responsibility(AOR) covering a Coastal Length of 680 Kms spread along the Coastal Districts namely Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari towards Assistance to Fishermen at sea during distress, Anti-Poaching Operations, SAR missions and Coastal Security. DIG Arvind Sharma, TM has taken over the charge as the first District Commander of No. 16 Coast Guard District Headquarters (Tuticorin).
Governor of highlighted that the Indian Coast Guard, with 139 ships and 62 aircrafts, is the fourth largest among the Coast Guards of the World& is likely to double its strength to about 200 surface vessels and 100 aircrafts in its inventory by 2023, as per the government approved 2012-17 five-year plan. Speaking on the occasion, he appreciated the will and commitment of ICG Officers & Men in protecting the maritime interests of the nation.
