Context: Union Minister launched India’s state-of-the-art Ocean Research Vessel ‘ORV Sagar Manthan’ (Yard 3041) at the Rishi Bankim Shipyard in Kolkata.
About India’s Advanced Ocean Research Vessel ORV Sagar Manthan:
What it is?
- An all-weather, multidisciplinary, deep-sea research vessel engineered to operate in extreme oceanic environments, including the Southern Ocean. It has a projected service life of 30 years and is built under Vertical-4 (Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration) of the flagship Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) at an estimated cost of ₹840 crore.
Built By: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata.
Aim: To promote Atmanirbharta in ocean science, explore deep-sea minerals, improve climate and tsunami forecasting, and strengthen India’s global ocean presence.
Key Features:
- Comprehensive Sensor Suite: Integrated with dynamic positioning systems, underway swath multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic reflection systems, sub-bottom profilers, and meteorological weather radar.
- Submersible Launch & Recovery Support: Equipped with specialized deck handling gear and drop keels to deploy deep-rated Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), and deep-sea benthic corers.
- Deep-Sea Mineral Exploration: Optimized to survey Indian Ocean mid-ocean ridges to detect and map seabed polymetallic hydrothermal sulphide mineralization and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts.
- Atmospheric & Water-Column Profiling: Outfitted with specialized laboratories to collect upper-air atmospheric soundings, continuous baseline water-column sampling, and conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) observations.
- Dual-Class Certification: Built to rigorous international maritime standards with dual-class classification by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
Significance:
- Shifts India from importing scientific vessels to designing and building advanced research ships domestically.
- Strengthens exploration of India’s EEZ and seabed areas while supporting climate, monsoon and disaster research.
