India: CSIR-NIO’s Research Vessel Dedicated to Nation

CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) dedicated its recently acquired  Research Vessel Sindhu Sadhana to the nation.

“This is a proud moment to dedicate the Research Vessel for the country. This vessel will enable to gather new information about oceans and its resources. It will also help us to become self sufficient in the emerging world with respect to other countries”, said 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.

Dr. Ahuja stated that the principal sectors of research for which the vessel will be used were food, energy, minerals, climate, and environment. He further expressed that the commissioning of this vessel will go a long way in meeting the basic need of an all-weather sampling platform for studying the role of the ocean in controlling the climate both present and past as well as the impacts of human induced changes on marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems and their feedback to climate change will be of direct societal relevance.

The first indigenously built multi-disciplinary research vessel is 80 meters long and 17.6 m wide and 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, water column and sub-bottom profiler, gravimeter, magnetometer, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, conductivity-temperature-depth profiler, autonomous weather station, air quality monitors as well as sampling gears such as  A-frame, Gamma frame, CTD and deep sea winches with supporting cranes.

The vessel is also 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 (ROVs) and  Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).

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.

RV Sindhu Sadhana is expected to serve as platform to launch oceanographic research programmes of global importance and translate this knowledge to the benefit of the nation.

July 15, 2014; Image: