Paradip: Transmitter devices developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to help crews tide over mid-sea distress and exigencies have been reduced to decorative showpieces with most of the sea-worthy vessels not using them.
The coast guard, in collaboration with the state marine fisheries department, distributed disaster alert transmitters free of cost to sea-worthy vessels venturing up to 13 nautical miles in 2012.
These gadgets, with round-the-clock satellite linkage, aimed to aid sea-going fishermen in distress. However, the devices have not yielded the desired results, reported The Telegraph.
The crew members only have to press the transmitter’s distress button to alert the maritime rescue co-ordination centre of the coast guard in case of exigencies. The coast guard also advised the fishermen to transmit alerts if they see any suspicious vessels along the coast.
“We have frequently organised awareness campaigns to familiarise the fishermen with the devices. However, it is yet to yield the desired result. We also have to face unwanted trouble on occasions as crews wrongfully press the distress message transmission buttons. When our ship ventured into the sea, we found that the concerned vessel was not in danger,” said a coast guard personnel.
The coast guard, however, have responded promptly whenever distress messages have reached them, rescuing fishermen caught in the rough sea, said another personnel.
Nonetheless, the experiment has not succeeded so far for several factors, according to Tushar Sardar, the district chief of the Traditional Marine Fish Workers’ Association. The crew members, most of whom are not educated, have failed to grasp the technology. There are instances when they did not even know that the transmitters were on board, Sardar said.
On the other hand, the trawler operators resort to other modes to relay distress signals as they believe the transmitters delay in delivering the messages.
The problem, according to All-Odisha Trawl Operators’ Association president Sumant Biswal, was that the message was first transmitted to the coast guard rescue co-ordination centre in Chennai before it was relayed back to the Paradip station.
Nodal officer of the coastal security wing of state police Madhabanand Sahu said: “The transmitters can invigorate the coastal security mechanism as fishermen and crews of sea-worthy vessels are important components to keep a tab on subversive elements. The state marine police will organise more camps in the fishermen’s villages to create awareness among them on the utility of these devices.”