Indo-Sri Lanka joint hydrographic survey completed; two charts handed over to Commander of the Navy
The joint Hydrographic survey which was conducted by the Indian Navy Hydrographic Department and Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service, extending from Colombo to Sangamankanda was successfully completed and two fair sheets were officially handed over to the Commander of the Navy today (12 May).
Accordingly, the Commanding Officer of the Indian Naval Survey Ship INS Dharshak, Captain Peush Pawsey handed over the fair sheets of “Colombo to Sangamankanda” and “Weligama Bay” to the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral R Wijegunaratne at an official function held at the Naval Headquarters.
This is the first ever joint survey conducted with the assistance of the Indian Navy Hydrographic Department. The survey commenced on 29th March 2017 and both hydrographers from Sri Lanka Navy and Indian Navy managed to complete the survey within a record time of 06 weeks. This covers approximately 41,600 square kilometres (12,150 square nautical miles) of area.
The survey was incorporated with state of the art modern equipment and technology available at Indian Naval Survey Ship INS ‘Darshak’, which included Multi-Beam Sounding, Single-Beam Sounding Side Scan Sonar, DGPS etc.
As Sri Lanka is a signatory state of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention, the country is obliged to provide and make available updated hydrographic information to the mariners.
This updated nautical/hydrographic information will replace centuries old nautical/hydrographic data available in the existing relevant nautical charts at present. Further, Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service expects to publish this information through new national series paper charts and electronic navigation charts in the coming months. The move will benefit the large international shipping traffic passing the southern coast of Sri Lanka and will certainly pave the way for blue economy.
The function was attended by the Chief Hydrographer of the Navy Rear Admiral Sisira Jayakody, Defence Advisor to the High Commission of India in Colombo Captain Ashok Rao and officials from the INS ‘Darshak’.
