NavIC Safety ‘Net’ For Fishermen: TN Procures Devices Powered By Indigenous Satellite System For Deep Sea Fishers

Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department has received the first batch of long-range satellite phones for the safety of deep sea fishers from intense cyclones, The New Indian Express has reported.

BSNL has been given an order of 181 Isat Phone2 satellite mobiles, of which 21 units have been delivered. The costs of procuring these mobiles was Rs 21 lakh according to Fisheries Department secretary K Gopal.

Apart from satellite phones, the department has ordered 240 units of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NavIC) receiver from M/s Antrix Corporation, the commercial wing of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and price of contact for supply of 160 units of NavTex has been finalised, added Gopal.

Generally, deep-sea fishing vessels go in clusters. Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Satyagopal, said that initially for the pilot test, the government was planning to provide three NavIC receivers, two GPS-based NavTex and two satellite phones for each cluster.

There are about 80 clusters with 20 vessels each, as per the fisheries department. The state government has sanctioned Rs 3.10 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to the Director of Fisheries for the procurement of communications equipment.