India Has First Indigenously Built Research Ship
The first indigenously built Research Vessel Sindhu Sadhana acquired recently by CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) was dedicated to India by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Vice President, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Honorable Minister of State for Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences (Independent charge), PMO, Personnel Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, in the presence of Dr. P.S. Ahuja, Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Dr. S.W.A. Naqvi, Director CSIR-NIO, at the Marmugao harbor on 12 July 2014.
This multi-disciplinary research vessel, which is 80 meters long and 17.6 m wide, Sindhu can accommodate 57 personnel including 29 Scientists and 28 crew members. She is designed for a cruising speed of 13.5 knots and an endurance of 45 days. The research vessel has 10 laboratories that are fitted with state-of-the art equipment facilitating high precision data and sample acquisition. The ship is equipped with a number of laboratories for online data collection and data processing from single beam and multi beam echo sounders, Parasound water column and sub-bottom profiler, gravimeter, magnetometer, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, conductivity-temperature-depth profiler, autonomous weather station, air quality monitors, etc. The sampling gear consists of an A-frame, Gamma frame, CTD and deep sea winches with supporting cranes. The vessel is equipped with dynamic positioning system that allows holding the vessel at a point for sampling including 24 meter long sediment cores. It also facilitates precise deployment of instrumented moorings, towing of Remotely Operated Vehicles and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles .
The CSIR-NIO is planning to carry out several observational campaigns onboard RV Sindhu Sadhana, which will improve the present understanding of the process in the seas around India and provide additional inputs for forecasting the variations in marine environment. The seafloor information resulting from high resolution mapping and sampling will help in identifying suitable areas for offshore developments and mineral prospecting including petroleum hydrocarbons. Also planned are studies to understand the importance of sedimentary processes in the burial of organic matter and sequestering of atmospheric carbon dioxide in marine sediments which play a significant role in global carbon budget.
The Indian oceanographic community takes pride to have the first indigenously built mulit-diciplinary vessel joining the fleet of research vessels of India. RV Sindhu Sadhana is expected to serve as platform to launch oceanographic research programs of global importance and translate this knowledge to the benefit of the nation.