New Delhi. India has launched an indigenously built ship into the sea, whose job is to keep the sea clean and pollution free. This is the first indigenous pollution control vessel ICGS Samudra Pratap. This ship has been inducted into the Indian Coast Guard. This ship was commissioned by the country’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. This vessel will play an important role in marine pollution control, search and rescue operations. It has been prepared by Goa Shipyard Limited. This is the first of two pollution control ships built by Goa Shipyard. If seen, this step is a major achievement in the direction of self-reliant India in shipbuilding and maritime capacity.
Samudra Pratap means power of the seas. The ship reflects the resolve of the Indian Coast Guard to keep the seas safe, secure and clean as well as safeguard the maritime interests of the country. It is completely designed and manufactured in India. More than 60 percent indigenous material has been used in it. The length of the ship is 114.5 meters and width is 16.5 meters. It can run at a speed of more than 40 kilometers. It is equipped with modern automation and computer controlled systems. The ship, which weighs about 4,200 tonnes, is powered by two 7,500 kilowatt diesel engines. It is equipped with control pitch propeller and gear box made of indigenous technology, which gives the ship better control and the ability to cover long distances. This ship can run non-stop for 6,000 nautical miles. Its main function is to deal with oil spills and pollution in the sea. For this, it has modern equipment like side sweeping arms, floating boom, high capacity skimmer, portable barge and pollution testing laboratory.
