About Distress Alert Transmitter:

• The first version of DAT has been operational since 2010.
• The fishermen at sea send emergency messages from fishing boats.
• The messages are sent through a communication satellite and received at a central control station (INMCC: Indian Mission Control Centre) where the alert signals are decoded for the identity and location of the fishing boat.
• The extracted information is forwarded to Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) under Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• Using this information, the MRCC coordinates to undertake Search and Rescue operations to save the fishermen in distress.

What is Second Generation DAT?

• Taking advantage of technological developments in satellite communication and satellite navigation ISRO has improvised DAT with advanced capabilities and features evolving to Second Generation DAT (DAT-SG).
• The DAT-SG has the facility to send back acknowledgement to the fishermen who activate the distress alert from sea. This gives an assurance to him of rescue coming to him.
• Apart from transmitting distress signals from the Sea, DAT-SG has the capability to receive messages from control centres.
• Using this, advance alert messages can be sent to the fishermen at sea whenever there are events of bad weather, cyclone tsunami or any other emergencies.
• Further, the information about Potential Fishing Zones (PFZs) are also transmitted to fishermen using DAT-SG on regular intervals.
• DAT-SG can be connected to mobile phones using Bluetooth interface and the messages can be read in native language using an App in the mobile.
• The central control centre has a web-based network management system called “SAGARMITRA” which maintains a database of registered DAT-SGs and helps MRCCs to access the information about boat, coordinate the boat in distress in real time.
• This helps the Indian Coast Guard to undertake Search & Rescue operations at the time of distress, without any time delay.