Cordial discussions on matters of bilateral importance were held during the occasion.

Director General Operations - Rear Admiral Daramendra Wettewa, Commander Western Naval Area - Rear Admiral Jayantha de Silva, Director Naval Operations - Commodore Kalana Jinadasa, and senior officers from the Naval Headquarters and Sri Lanka Coast Guard also attended the event.

Samudra Paheredar, a state-of-the art Pollution Control Vessel of the Indian Coast Guard, made her maiden visit to Colombo from 10-11 October 2016.

During its halt in Colombo, the ship’s crew participated in professional, training and sports interactions with Sri Lanka Coast Guard personnel, which are aimed at strengthening ties and mutual understanding between the two Coast Guards. The ship conducted practical training in harbour and at sea for Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard personnel in the highly specialised field of Pollution Response.

The indigenously built Samudra Paheredar is designed to respond to major marine pollution contingencies both in harbours and offshore areas. With its modern Pollution Response equipment, the ship is capable of containing major oil spills, recovering, and storing large quantities of recovered pollutants onboard.

An experienced team of personnel specialised in Pollution Response handle the pollution control operations of the ship. Samudra Paheredar has a crew of over 100 personnel and is commanded by Deputy Inspector General Deepak Raj Sharma.

(Pics courtesy : Navy.lk)