Coast Guard launches campaign for coastal security

KOLKATA: With the objective to involve fishermen in maritime safety and security, Coast Guard today here launched a joint coastal security campaign.

On the occassion, a motor cycle rally was also flagged off.

The campaign is aimed at sensitising the fishing community and integrate them into the coastal security mechanism as its eyes and ears, Coast Guard officials said.

Deputy Commandant Jaya Kumar is leading the rally comprising 22 personnel on 11 motorcycles - 14 from Indian Coast Guard, four from State Marine Police and four from state fisheries department, Coast Guard officials said.

The bikers would travel through Contai-Digha-Haldia-Kolkata route covering a distance of about 500 km, they said.

The team will visit fishing hamlets en-route and undertake community interaction programmes and medical check-up camps with the assistance of Coast Guard medical teams and Calcutta Medical Research Institute, the officials said.

The campaign will terminate at Kolkata on Monday.