26 June 2021 12:00 am Views - 126
The vessel is equipped with state of the art survey equipment including the Side Scan Sonar
An Indian Navy ship called in Colombo on Poson Poya Day, and the vessel, equipped with state of the art survey equipment including the Side Scan Sonar, would assist in the Survey efforts being undertaken in the vicinity of the ill-fated MV X-Press Pearl and off Colombo, a statement from the Indian High Commission said.
“On the auspicious Poson Poya Day on 24 June 2021, which marks the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka from India, another glorious chapter in the millennia old friendly and close ties between the two neighbours was added with the arrival of INS Sarvekshak, a Survey Ship of Indian Navy to Colombo,” the statement said.
The statement said INS Sarvekshak was deployed upon a formal request from the Sri Lankan Government to ensure safety of navigation in the area outside the Colombo harbour. The joint survey operations would have the coordinated participation of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Sri Lanka Navy and Indian Navy.
A coordination meeting was conducted yesterday to discuss further plans of the survey.
The meeting was attended by Prof. A Navaratneraja, Chairman NARA, Dr. H.M.P. Kithsiri, Director General NARA, Captain Vikas Sood, Defence Adviser at the Indian High Commission and Captain Wijesooriya from the Sri Lanka Navy.
MV X-Press Pearl which caught fire on 20 May, 2021 was reportedly carrying 1,486 containers out of which large numbers fell into the sea before the fire was doused after an extensive India-Sri Lanka joint operation as part of Operation Sagar Aaraksha 2. Many institutions like the UN, UNEP as well as officials from the Government of Sri Lanka have assessed that the containers that fell off the ship pose a grave concern to the livelihood of the fishermen community staying along the western coast of Sri Lanka as also to safety of navigation of marine traffic operating through Colombo port.
In continuation of Operation Sagar Aaraksha 2, the joint Survey Operations would assist in restoring safe navigation in the area and compliment India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy that calls for, amongst other things, swift support in mitigating such calamities in the Indian Ocean Region.