Karnataka’s First Sea Ambulance to Be Ready by May 2026

Karnataka’s First Sea Ambulance to Be Ready by May 2026

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 6, 2025: Karnataka is set to launch its first-ever sea ambulance by May 2026, Minister for Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport Mankal S. Vaidya announced on Saturday.

Speaking informally to the media, the Minister said that a Chennai-based agency that won the tender has begun constructing the specialized vessel. The sea ambulance, costing ₹7.85 crore, is expected to be completed within the next six months, State Director of Fisheries Dinesh Kumar Kaller added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced the introduction of a sea ambulance for the State in the 2024–25 Budget.

According to Mr. Kaller, the ambulance will be equipped with an 800-HP engine—significantly higher than the 350 to 400-HP engines typically used by deep-sea fishing boats—allowing it to reach distressed vessels quickly. It will carry paramedical staff and be fitted with essential facilities, including a mortuary. The ambulance will be stationed at one of the fisheries ports along the coastal belt.

Earlier in the day, the Minister laid the foundation stone for a ₹37.47 crore project to modernise the Mangaluru fisheries harbour under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Of the total cost, the Union government will contribute ₹22.48 crore, while the remaining ₹14.98 crore will be funded by the State.

The project includes reconstruction of the old wharf, construction of an overhead tank and sump, improvements to drinking water supply, rebuilding the auction hall, creating an auction shelter, establishing sewage and effluent treatment plants, renovating the office of the Joint Director of Fisheries, setting up an entrance gate, and developing a fish handling facility.