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Indian Navy’s ‘Sagar Manthan’ Ocean Research Vessel Launched in Kolkata
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In Short: Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers launched the 'Sagar Manthan', an indigenous ocean research vessel for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research.
Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) launched the 'Sagar Manthan', an indigenous ocean research vessel (ORV) for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, on Wednesday.
The vessel was launched at the GRSE’s Rishi Bankim Shipyard in Kolkata by Kavita Ellanti, wife of Dr Srinivas Kumar Tummala, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences. Speaking at the launch ceremony, MoS Singh highlighted the significance of the vessel in showcasing India's growing indigenous capabilities in shipbuilding and scientific research.
Secretary Tummala expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the ORV and urged NCPOR and GRSE to maintain the pace, while assuring all support from the ministry. The ORV, which is expected to be ready for use by early 2028, is a significant addition to India's deep-sea exploration and scientific research capabilities.
The 'Sagar Manthan' is a 89.5-m long and 18.8-m wide ORV with a gross tonnage of 5,900 tonnes and a speed of up to 14 knots at 90% maximum continuous rating (MCR). It will be able to carry out various operations including conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) profiling, water sampling, and seabed sampling using corers and grabs. The vessel will also undertake underway atmospheric observations and collect upper air data.
The launch of the 'Sagar Manthan' comes just five months after the keel-laying of the vessel. The ORV will be able to carry out surface and deep-sea mooring and data buoy operations, as well as seabed sampling using chain bag dredges. The vessel will also be equipped to conduct surface and deep-sea operations, making it a versatile tool for ocean research.
What's still developing
- Secretary Tummala said he was happy to be at the launch of the ORV being built for the Ministry of Earth Sciences, under a very important Union government mission called the ‘Deep Ocean Mission’.
- GRSE has necessary expertise in the field of survey vessels and has been building them for the Indian Navy for nearly four decades now.
- Apart from these, GRSE is building 32 more platforms, including 13 ships for export.
- As per tradition, the ORV was named ‘Sagar Manthan’ by Manju Singh, wife of Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and Technology.