The Hindu : Karnataka News : Sea Bird naval project ready for operation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 27, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Sea Bird naval project ready for operation

By R.S. Habbu

KARWAR, NOV. 26. The Sea Bird Naval Project, which has placed Karwar on the Defence map of the country, is ready for operation. The first ship is expected to arrive at the harbour on December 4 for trial.

Commodore S.S. Karnik, Deputy Director General for Project Implementation, said here today that the Navy conceived the project in the 1980s. Karwar was preferred to other ports because of its geographical advantage and strategic location. The project was estimated to cost Rs. 35,000 crores and once completed, Karwar could emerge as the Navy's third major base after Mumbai and Visakhapatnam.

Relocation

He said the Government had relocated 4,111 families living in 13 villages affected by the project. According to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Defence and the State Government, Rs. 126 crores was released by the Navy to resettle to the affected families. Seven rehabilitation centres were built and basic amenities provided.

Marine works

He said the marine works mainly related to the creation of a tranquil harbour, dredging of the approached channel and anchorage area and also reclamation of 49 hectares of land from the sea. A consortium of companies, including L&T, Hochtiff, Germany, and Ballast Nadan Dredging, the Netherlands, with Nedicco, the Netherlands, as consultants, built the harbour. The berthing facility, being built by Skanska Cementation Limited, under the supervision of Redecon, Australia, would be completed by December. A unique feature of the project was its Rs. 150-crore ship lift and ship transfer system for underwater maintenance of the ship's hull.

The state-of-the-art ship lift was the first of its kind in the country. It was manufactured by Syncrolift Inc., U.S.

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