GSL hands over Coast Guard’s largest vessel to fight pollution

Panaji: Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on Tuesday delivered the indigenously designed Samudra Pratap, a pollution control ship, to the Indian Coast Guard. It is the first of two hybrid ships developed by GSL for oil spill response operations at sea.

The 114.5m-long vessel, with a displacement of 4,170 tonnes, measures 16.5m in breadth and is the largest vessel in the Indian Coast Guard’s fleet.


The vessel features hull-flushed side sweeping arms, retractable stern thrusters, FiFi-2/fire fighting vessel-2 level fire-fighting systems, and dynamic positioning capability, enhancing India’s marine pollution response and operational capabilities. The primary purpose of the FiFi-2 system is to provide substantial, long-range fire suppression in marine environments.

Two recent incidents off the coast of Kerala involving two different vessels, MSC ELSA 3 and MV Wan Hai 503, brought into focus the threat posed by hazardous cargo, oil spills, and maritime collisions in Indian waters. On June 9, the Singaporean container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire approximately 44 nautical miles off the Kerala coast. The vessel reported an internal container explosion and a resultant major fire onboard. The vessel was carrying 2,128 metric tonnes of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo.The Indian Coast Guard held the vessel away from the Kerala coast for several days.

Goa Shipyard ensured that 75% of the raw material, machinery, and equipment is indigenous. Construction of the vessel contributed to skill development, employment generation, and MSME participation, said GSL.

Delivery of the Samudra Pratap represents GSL’s fourth vessel handover in the past six months, reinforcing its track record of timely delivery of warships to the armed forces.

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