Meet ICGS Samudra Pratap: India's pollution-fighting powerhouse
India has just commissioned its first homegrown Pollution Control Vessel, ICGS Samudra Pratap.
Commissioned on January 5 by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and built by Goa Shipyard Limited, this ship is now the biggest in the Coast Guard fleet—measuring over 114 meters and weighing 4,170 tons.
Why does this matter?
Samudra Pratap is all about keeping our seas cleaner.
It's packed with high-tech gear like an oil fingerprinting machine and a chemical detector, plus its own lab for spill analysis.
The ship can scoop up thick oil spills at 300 tons per hour and store up to 1,000 tons using extra barges—making it a real game-changer for ocean protection.
What makes it special?
This vessel brings some serious upgrades: it's the first Coast Guard ship with Dynamic Positioning (DP-1) tech and a retractable stern thruster for precise maneuvering.
It also has advanced firefighting systems and is armed for security missions.
Based in Kochi under Deputy Inspector General Ashok Kumar Bhama, it has a complement of 14 officers and 115 personnel (total 129)—including two women officers—ready to take on pollution control, firefighting, and coastal security across western India.