ICG dredges seabed at Mandapam to dock heavy vessels

The ICG station is in Mandapam but the sea near Mandapam is shallow and does not allow the heavier ships of ICG to approach the station directly. When ICG ships from Chennai reach Mandapam, they are docked in mid-sea and ICG officials use lighter boats to reach the heavier vessels. 

Because of the shallow sea, all processes get delayed. Even Tamil Nadu fishermen, who are released from Sri Lankan prisons and are handed over to the ICG at the International Maritime Border Line (IMBL), are taken to Karaikal. From Karaikal, they reach Rameswaram and all these activities get delayed because the sea is shallow near the ICG station. 

Recently, the ICG had built a facility to dock the ships near its station in Mandapam but still the heavier boats could not be docked. So, the coast guard had commenced dredging operation in the Palk Bay region of the sea. 

The sand dredged from the sea is loaded on to a large vessel and it is unloaded in mid-sea. 

Once the dredging process is completed large ships can be docked near the ICG station and it will further boost security operations, said a source from the ICG. The source also said that in future, there are possibilities that the Tamil Nadu fishermen released from Sri Lankan prisons would be taken to Pamban directly. Also, in case of any emergency the authorities can directly board larger ships and can attend to any contingency, added the source.