After a training stint in the Andamans, Jharkhand's only trained scuba diver is eyeing an advanced exercise in Bali, Indonesia.
The week-long training in Bali next month will not just help 46-year-old Mazharul Bari get a fair idea about the latest diving and rescue gear, but also go a long way in improving his plunge technique.
"Bali is a great destination for training because of good underwater visibility. I have riveted my attention to the trip and am waiting for a formal nod from my superiors," said Bari who is employed as a sub-inspector with Tata Steel's security wing.
According to the diver, there are several agencies in Bali that take trainees to a depth of 120ft in the sea famous for its coral reefs. "Training in Bali will surely help me in my search and rescue operations in Jamshedpur and its surrounding areas," he said.
The seasoned diver has already completed an advanced course at Barefoot Scuba, the highest-rated PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) dive shop in the Andamans in 2015. He has a fair share of underwater operations to his credit.
The East Singhbhum district administration summons him often for search and rescue operations in Subernarekha and Kharkai rivers. He has also been to Ranchi for similar tasks. Bari's help was sought when two boys were feared drowned in Beldih Lake last week. He managed to rescue one.
The diver, who maintains fitness with a routine of swimming and jogging every alternate day as well as a weekly trek to Dalma hills, also rescued a 55-year-old man who fell into a well in Jugsalai earlier this year.
To arm Bari with improved plunge technology, Tata Steel had procured from Italy a high-end self-contained underwater breathing apparatus in 2015.
The scuba gear comprises wet and dry suits, regulators, an air tank, fins, masks and a dive computer (a personal decompression metre worn like a watch to ensure the time a and depth of a dive so that safe ascent profile can be calculated and decompression sickness avoided).
"Besides my imported gear, I also have an ordinary one comprising a 100-metre pipe and a commercial oxygen cylinder. The gear from Italy is kept at Tata Steel fire brigade and I get it at times of emergency," Bari signed off.
