Vigraha

Why in news?

• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship Vigraha, seventh in the series of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), will be commissioned by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in Chennai on August 28, 2021.

About Vigraha:

• Vigraha is an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) built and designed indigenously by Larsen and Toubro Shipbuilding under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• The vessel is fitted with advanced technology radars, navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery capable of operating in tropical sea conditions.

What are Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs)?

• Offshore patrol vessels are patrolling vehicles which are deployed by Indian coast guards to patrol the maritime boundary of India.
• There are a series of seven offshore patrol vessels(OPV) built by L&T Shipbuilding for the Indian Coast Guard.
• The seven OPVs are: Vikram , Vijaya ,Varaha ,Veera , Varad , Vajra and  Vigraha.

About Indian Coast Guard:

• It was established by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 , as an independent Armed force of India.
• It operates under the Ministry of Defence.
• It has jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India including contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.
• It is responsible for marine environment protection in maritime zones of India and is coordinating authority for response to oil spills in Indian waters.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the recently commissioned offshore patrol vessel ‘Vigraha’?

(a) It operates under the administrative control of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) 

(b) It is capable of carrying pollution response equipment to contain oil spill at sea

(c) It is designed and built indigenously

(d) All of the statements given above are correct

Answer