Kolkata: State government is set to introduce new technology to prevent boat capsize and thereby the loss of human lives.
“Two way communication” technology will be used by the state fisheries department under which a special device will be installed in trawlers in the initial
phases, the device will be installed in 20 fishing trawlers from East Midnapore’s Digha, Shankarpur, Petuaghat, Shouli.
State fisheries department will take technological support from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Control rooms will be opened at different places which include Shankarpur, Digha.
A server will be installed in every place. Warning will be sent to trawlers through the control rooms.
A training was recently organised in Digha Mohona where fishermen were informed about the latest initiative.
There have been instances in the recent past when many fishing trawlers capsized. The Bengal government had made it mandatory for boats and trawlers out for deep-sea fishing to install distress alert transmitters (DATs) so that the vessel operators can alert Chennai’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in case of an emergency.
The increasing trend of fishing boat capsizing in the Bay of Bengal prompted the state government to make the installation of the device in boats mandatory. Many of the trawlers however did not install DATs.