The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted a two-day Maritime Search and Rescue (MSAR) exercise at Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, bringing together defence forces and civil agencies to rehearse emergency response ahead of a forecast cyclone season that scientists warn could be historically severe.

What the Exercise Covered

The drill united all critical stakeholders — the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Directorate of Shipping Services, Meteorological Department, Forest, Fisheries and Revenue Departments, and the Police Marine Force. Activities over the two days included a Tabletop Exercise and live practical demonstrations designed to sharpen inter-agency coordination and stress-test response protocols.

'All aspects of Maritime Search and Rescue were discussed and practiced during the exercise. Ships, helicopters and small rescue vessels participated. Rescue teams were part of realistic mock drills,' an official of the Andaman and Nicobar Command said. The initiative, the Command added, 'reaffirmed the collective commitment to maritime safety, search and rescue preparedness.'

The ISRO Warning That Triggered Urgency

The timing of the exercise is directly tied to a stark forecast from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), whose scientists have warned of three high-intensity tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean between October and December 2026. ISRO's predictive modelling suggests the post-monsoon cyclone season this year could carry up to 83 per cent more cumulative strength than the 44-year historical average — a figure that has raised alarms among disaster management authorities along both the eastern and western seaboards.

Researchers evaluated 40 years of historical oceanographic and atmospheric data, mapping global climate parameters recorded between January and August to construct the late-year forecast. The agency has indicated that the energy generated by these systems is likely to produce an abnormally turbulent oceanic environment following the summer monsoon retreat.

Why the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Are at the Centre

The archipelago sits astride some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea lanes, through which a significant volume of global cargo passes. The inhabited islands are connected to each other and to the mainland by ships and ferries — vessels that could be severely disrupted or endangered by intense cyclonic conditions. The islands' geographical exposure makes early preparedness drills not merely precautionary but operationally essential.

Broader National Response

Agencies across the country are already recalibrating emergency response strategies to safeguard vulnerable coastal populations and protect maritime assets. The ISRO warning provides what officials describe as 'critical lead time' for state governments and coastal administrators to pre-position resources and coordinate evacuation logistics well before the peak threat window opens in October.

With the cyclone season now weeks away, the pace and scale of inter-agency exercises like the one in Sri Vijaya Puram are expected to intensify across India's entire coastline.