Indian Coast Guard Conducts 'Operation Sajag' Coastal Security Drill to Strengthen Maritime Safety And Awareness

The Indian Coast Guard conducted 'Operation Sajag,' a Coastal Security Drill along the Western Coast on Monday, involving all stakeholders in the Coastal Security Construct. This drill serves to revalidate the coastal security mechanism and raise awareness among fishermen at sea.

During the monthly drill of "OP SAJAG," extensive checks and verification of documents and crew passes for all fishing boats, barges, and sea-going craft are carried out. Several measures have been implemented to strengthen coastal security, including the issuance of biometric cards for fishermen, color-coding of fishing boats by state, staffing of fish landing centers, access control at entry/exit checkpoints, coastal mapping, designation of specific marine band frequencies for security agencies, and marine police training by the Indian Coast Guard.

Monitoring of dhows, island security, and community interaction programs have also been established under the Coastal Security Construct.

The Sajag drill occurs monthly for one day, involving all Coastal Security stakeholders from dawn to dusk. It helps verify the implementation of various Coastal Security measures, uncover valuable lessons, and highlight trends in coastal security. Approximately 118 ships, including those from Customs, Marine Police, Ports, and the Indian Navy, participated along the west coast.