‘Samudra Prachet’, the last of the two indigenous Pollution Control Vessels (PCVs) constructed by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), was launched for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) today in Goa. The ship will be manned by 14 officers and 115 sailors.
With a length of 114.5m, a breadth of 16.5m, and a displacement of 4,170 tons, the ships have been fitted with state-of-the-art response equipment. These vessels will help ICG in a quick and effective response to any oil spill in our Exclusive Economic Zone. It is equipped with two side-sweeping arms capable of collecting oil spills while underway, as well as a modern radar system for detecting oil slicks. The vessel is engineered to recover oil across the full viscosity spectrum, pump in contaminated water, analyse and separate pollutants, and store recovered oil in dedicated onboard tanks.
The vessel was launched by Guest of Honour Priya Paramesh, in the presence of the Chief Guest Director General ICG (DGICG) Paramesh Sivamani. The ceremony was also attended by Chairman and Managing Director, GSL, Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, ICG and GSL.
Addressing the gathering, the DGICG highlighted the importance of PCVs for ICG in the maritime domain. He appreciated the efforts put in by GSL and industry in ensuring that major shipbuilding requirements of ICG are fulfilled indigenously. Further, he exhorted all present to ensure that the march towards Aatmanirbharta in Defence Production is pursued in the right earnest.
With the launch of the second ship, the project contributes to economic prosperity by developing a local ecosystem and supporting workforce, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs. The project has generated substantial employment for local industry and MSMEs engaged in marine production activities within Goa.
The First Pollution Control Vessel was launched on August 29, 2024, and is expected to be delivered soon.