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Navy's prestigious Seabird Project on stream, says admiral

The Indian Navy's multi-million-rupee Project Seabird, a plan to move its principal naval base from Bombay to Karwar in Karnataka is "on the tracks" and will be completed in the next seven or eight years, according to Vice-Admiral Madhvendra Singh, flag officer commanding-in-chief, Western Naval Command.

Funds for the first phase, expected to cost Rs 5.5 billion, have been sanctioned by the Government of India and marine works, including two breakwaters, dredging of silt and reclamation of nearly 70 acres of land, have begun, he said in Bombay today.

The new base involves building two 5.5km long breakwaters, quarrying of granite rock, dredging of 15 million cubic metres of seabed, and reclamation of 50 hectares of land. The breakwaters include a 1.3km long northern breakwater to Anjadiv Island and a 3.2km long southern breakwater to Agra Cape. The decade-old project, a brainchild of former navy chief Admiral O S Dawson, had been on hold so far for paucity of funds.

The Indian Navy and the government of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi launched the project in 1984, when extensive studies made it clear that the existing infrastructure and facilities at Bombay would not be adequate for the rapidly expanding navy as well as the commercial marine sector. It was thought necessary to give the navy a dedicated harbour of its own, away from the bustle of Bombay, and shift it about 250 miles south to Karwar.

But the project did not advance as expected. The initial plan called for the construction of a breakwater and the basing of a few ships in Karwar by 1995. Unfortunately, after the initial acquisition of land and the preparation of the master plan, funds dried up, bringing the project to a grinding halt.

The project involves moving most of the Western Naval Command, including all ships and personnel, to Karwar. During the eighties, the Indian Navy expanded rapidly. Within a short span of time, the fleet strength practically doubled. Though a fairly large number of ships were based on the East Coast, berthing and docking space at Bombay was proving to be inadequate.

Hemmed in on all sides, there is inadequate space in Bombay for the dockyard to expand to meet legitimate naval requirements. There is also insufficient space for naval personnel to be housed. Currently, the problem is so acute that at times ships have to remain anchored outside the harbour for hours, waiting for their turn for refuelling and repairs. At present, only a few ships can be refuelled at a time in Bombay, which can prove a liability in wartime.

Bombay also has its own security problems. The naval dockyard is open to prying eyes from the tall structures nearby. Many foreign-manned ships have free access to the nearby commercial docks.

Project Seabird has also suffered on account of fractious litigation by farmers whose land was brought over by the navy. The farmers claim that they have not been paid adequately by the government.

The first phase of the project, costing Rs 15 billion, will now have to be scaled down as the long delay of 12 years in getting the project off the ground has pushed up the cost. From the original plan of putting up 10 jetties, the first phase will now be able to accommodate just one jetty. The total evacuation package costing Rs 880 million, to be borne by the Centre, will benefit 4,300 families who will be displaced from 13 villages. The project will be housed on 8,000 acres of land and will occupy 28 kilometres of coastline, from Binaga block to Ankola block.

UNI

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