Mangaluru: Inspector-General V.D. Chafekar, Commander of Indian Coast Guard Region (West), reviewed the operational readiness of the Coast Guard in Karnataka at its State headquarters in Mangaluru on Thursday and Friday.

He also inspected the ongoing infrastructure development projects. The Commander reviewed the coastal security mechanism and the pollution response preparedness for Karnataka, a Coast Guard release said.

The flag officer stated his priorities for strengthening the Coast Guard pollution response capabilities through coordination with other stakeholders.

He lauded the prompt response of Coast Guard ships and aircraft to numerous search-and-rescue operations and medical evacuations at sea, including the Karnataka unit that rendered assistance to fishermen in distress and helped in shipment of relief material to the flood-hit Kerala recently.

He interacted with officers and expressed his satisfaction with the preparedness at the headquarters no. 3 (Mangaluru) and reiterated the need of infrastructure for berthing of ships, which are likely to be based at New Mangaluru in the near future, the release said.