Madras high court
When the plea came up for hearing, in view of an earlier order, the Chennai commissioner of police filed a status report and submitted that 50 police personnel belonging to 12th battalion of the Tamil Nadu Special Police are deployed every day on a rotational basis at Marina Beach and seven jet skis are maintained in the Chennai division for safety of the public, who come to the beach. We are also informed that there is a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the National Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinating Authority, which has also issued a National Maritime Search and Rescue Plan in 2022.
Recording the submissions, the court said, “A holistic perusal of the status report reveals that there is no mention about the manner in which the agencies coordinate with one another for effective functioning to serve the purpose. ” “We also directed the Chennai commissioner to provide the details about the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for saving the lives of those who venture into the sea and also the feasibility of pressing into service drone cameras,” the bench added and adjourned the hearing to Nov 20. CHENNAI: Madras high court has directed the Chennai commissioner of police to ascertain the feasibility of pressing into service drone cameras in search and rescue of people who drown after venturing into the sea at Marina.