PROJECT
SEABIRD - DEFENCE
News: Vice
Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar NM, assumed duties of the Director General Project
Seabird.
What’s
in the news?
Details
- Project Seabird is one of the largest
and strategically most vital naval infrastructure projects that were
undertaken to develop a world-class naval base at Karwar,
Karnataka on the west coast of India.
- It was born under the
initiative taken by Admiral O.S. Dawson in the early 1980s.
- The project was sanctioned in
1985 and its foundation stone laid by then Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi in 1986.
Purpose
and Need:
Project
Seabird was born out of the need felt in the aftermath of the Indo-Pak
War in 1971 underlining the need to have another base for the Indian
Navy because of the congestion at Mumbai Harbour thus presenting a risk to the
security of the Western Fleet.
Stages
of Development
- Stage I (Completed in 2005): The
phase included the construction of deep-sea harbor, breakwaters, dredging,
township, naval hospital, dockyard uplift center, and ship lift facility.
The base commissioned with a strength to support 10 ships.
Phase
I
- Phase
I of Project Seabird was designed to accommodate 10 ships and was
successfully concluded in 2011. The infrastructure comprised a breakwater,
a pier capable of berthing 10 ships, a 10,000-ton ship lift and dry berth,
a Naval Ship Repair Yard, logistics and armament storage
facilities, accommodation for 1000 personnel, a Headquarters/Depot
Organisation, and a 141-bed Naval Hospital.
Phase
II:
- (In Progress, Fulfilled in two
parts-Phase IIA and Phase IIB)
- Phase IIA: Berthing facilities,
new covered dry dock, and extensive residential facilities are under
construction.
- Phase IIB (Future development): INS
Kadamba is the center of Project Seabird and currently the
third-largest Indian naval base, which would expand to become the largest
once Phase IIB is completed. Naval Air Station is
under construction, with a 2,700-meter runway that would support naval and
commercial aviation.
- INS Vajrakosh: A
nearby naval station involved in missile storage and maintenance.
- INS Jatayu is
a recently established naval base in the Lakshadweep islands.
Economic
Benefits
- The ongoing construction activities
at Naval Base Karwar have directly generated employment
opportunities for approximately 7,000 personnel and indirectly led to
around 20,000 jobs across the nation.
- The infrastructure development has
been aligned with the principles of Aatmanirbhar Bharat with more than 90%
of the materials and equipment being sourced from within the country.
- The project's execution involves
renowned Indian industry infrastructure leaders such as AECOM India Ltd.,
Larsen & Toubro, ITD Cementation India Ltd, Nagarjuna Construction
Company, Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd., and Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
- Once fully operational, with an
estimated 50,000 individuals residing in the Naval Facilities spread over
the 25-kilometer expanse, a substantial contribution to the local economy
is foreseen.
- The establishment of the Naval
Dockyard and the maintenance needs of ships will act as catalysts for
the industrial growth of the region.
- This development is also expected to
attract significant investments to the Uttara Kannada region, along with
the necessary infrastructure, and create employment opportunities for the
local community.
- The Naval Air Station, along
with the Civil Enclave, is poised to improve air connectivity
to Uttar Karnataka region and boost the tourism industry in both North
Karnataka and South Goa. Upon full operationalisation, the base is
projected to provide government employment to around 8,000 personnel.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2049306