CHENNAI: The State Fisheries Department has received the first consignment of long-range communication gadgets for the benefit of deep-sea fishermen in the face of rapid-intensifying cyclonic storms, which have been the norm in the past few monsoon seasons. Fisheries secretary K Gopal told the Express that the department has placed an order for 181 units of Isat Phone2 (satellite phone) from BSNL, of which 21 units have been delivered costing over Rs 21 lakh.
“This apart, a purchase order for the supply of 240 units of NavIC (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) receiver, has been placed with M/s Antrix Corporation, a commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). We are expecting the supply shortly,” Gopal said and added that the rate contract for the supply of 160 units of NavTex has been finalised, which will be imported and supplied within a month’s time.
K Satyagopal, Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA), said initially on a pilot scale, the government was planning to provide three NavIC receivers, two GPS-based NavTex and two satellite phones for each cluster of deep-sea fishing vessels. “Generally, deep-sea fishing vessels go in clusters.
The Fisheries department has identified about 80 such clusters, each comprising of about 20 vessels.
The potential ‘life-saving’ gadgets will be distributed this year before north-east monsoon peaks,” he said.
Overall, the State government has given administrative sanction for `3.10 cr from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to the Director of Fisheries towards procurement and supply of communications equipment. Chief Secretary’s control room, CRA, Director Fisheries and four harbour management committees of Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Nagapattinam, Chennai, as well as district collectorates of all 13 coastal districts, will also be provided with satellite phones, officials said.