Director General Paramesh Sivamani, AVSM, PTM, TM, Chairperson of the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) and Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), inaugurated the 27th NOSDCP meeting in Chennai on Sunday.
The meeting brought together over 100 national delegates representing ministries, central and state agencies, ports, and oil-handling organisations, along with 40 international observers.
The session focused on enhancing oil spill response readiness through improved inter-agency coordination and the adoption of global best practices, according to an official release.
As part of the proceedings, the "Samudri Paryavaran Sanrakshan Trophy" was awarded to the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), while the "Tel Udyog Samudri Paryavaran Sanrakshan Trophy" went to ONGC (Western Offshore) for exemplary contributions towards environmental protection.
Coinciding with the conference, the ICG commenced the 10th edition of its biennial National Level Pollution Response Exercise, NATPOLREX-X, off the coast of Chennai.
Scheduled for 5–6 October 2025, the flagship drill aims to test and strengthen India's national preparedness against marine oil spill incidents, while assessing inter-agency coordination under the NOSDCP framework.
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During the exercise, the ICG will deploy a wide range of pollution response assets, including ships and aircraft specially configured for maritime pollution control.
The drills will showcase the multi-tiered response strategy of the ICG and highlight operational cooperation between national stakeholders and international partners.
NATPOLREX-X 2025 is expected to reaffirm India's commitment to marine environmental protection, aligned with the nation's vision of sustainable development and ecological responsibility.
The exercise is set to establish new benchmarks in operational readiness, technological integration, and collaborative maritime environmental stewardship.
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