Fishermen who faced distress and adversities while fishing on the high seas could get assistance just by a press of a button, thanks to the Distress Alert Transmitters (DAT) being distributed to them by the State Fisheries department under the Fisheries Management for Sustainable Livelihoods (FIMSUL) project.
An Ahmedabad-based company Komoline Aerospace Limited (KAL) has manufactured the DAT, which could come in handy for the fishermen to seek assistance in case of fire, medical assistance, drowning and sinking of the vessel.
Using the device with inbuilt signalling system, the fishermen could get assistance from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) by pressing the relevant button with pictorial signs.
In case of distress while fishing, the fishermen could alert the MRCC, indicating their exact Geo Positioning System (GPS) location within six seconds by pressing the button. On being alerted, the MRCC would rush its rescue team to the spot or alert the nearby vessel, which had facilities for rescue operation.
Deputy Director of Fisheries Kasinatha Pandian, Assistant Director of Fisheries Gopinath and representatives from KAL addressed an awareness programme on the use of DAT at Thangachimadam, near here on Tuesday. Fishermen from the district attended the session and evinced interest in availing the devices.
The programme was implemented under FIMSUL-II with Centre’s subsidy, Mr. Gopinath said.
The DAT, each costing Rs. 15,240 would be given to the fishermen at a subsidised rate of Rs. 1,524, he said.
About 500 fishermen from Rameswaram, Mandapam, Thondi and Ramanathapuram have been selected as beneficiaries in the first phase and the devices would be distributed to them from Saturday onwards on first-come-first-served basis, he said.
The battery-operated device, weighing about 1.5 kg could be recharged for round-the-clock operation, he said.
Each device would be registered with Indian Coast Guard (ICG), which had the tie up with MRCC, he also added.
