Mumbai, May 22 (PTI) The Navy today conducted a security exercise, called "Prasthan", in the Offshore Development Area (ODA) off the coast of Mumbai.

The exercise, conducted by the Headquarters Western Naval Command, is held every six months, a Defence spokesperson said.

The exercise aims to integrate maritime stakeholders, including the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, ONGC, Port Trust, Customs, State Fisheries department and Marine Police, towards refining standard operating procedures for response to various contingencies that could occur in the ODAs, he said.

The exercise was conducted on the MHN platform of ONGC located about 95 nautical miles west of Mumbai, the spokesperson said in a statement here tonight.

The drill focused on contingencies like collision of an adrift vessel with an oil platform, fire on an oil platform, oil spill and pollution control, casualty evacuation from the ODA, and search and rescue for a crashed helicopter.

The exercise provided a realistic scenario for all stakeholders to assess readiness to respond to and combat contingencies in the Western ODA, as also to operate together in a coordinated manner, he said.

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