Training for Lanka to improve maritime, hydrographic area

International Hydrographic Organisation chairman Admiral Mustafa Iptes expressed commitment from the International Hydrographic office of Monaco to provide funding and technical support and training to Sri Lanka to further improve the maritime and hydrographic area.

He congratulated Sri Lanka for developing rapidly in the region as an important stake holder in the Indian Ocean region.

He made this comment at the 13th North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission Meeting held in Myanmar from February 18 to 22 with the participation of over 15 nations including Sri Lanka, America, England, Australia, France, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan.

The North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission is held yearly with the participation of its member states to discuss and take action in all issues concerning the Indian Ocean hydrography.

Hydrography is an area which is important for all nations to understand and produce navigational routes and charts for all types of maritime transportation. The National Hydrographic office (NHO) of Sri Lanka, under the purview of the National Aquatic Resource and Research Development Agency (NARA), is the main organisation responsible in all hydrographic work in Sri Lankan waters.

NARA chairman Dr Sayuru Samarasundera and NHO hydrographer chief M A Ariyawansa participated in this conference representing Sri Lanka.

The NHO was established in 1984 under NARA and have developed in to one of the world's recognised hydrographic organisations with having specialised staff, equipment and infrastructure like research vessels, latest technological survey equipment.

Conducting hydrographic and bathymetric surveys, analyzing sea tides, data gathering and processing ocean currents, water movements, tides and other oceanographic parameters of interest to navigation and maritime related activities, charting hazardous zones for navigation providing professional services to other organizations dealing with coastal and off shore activities, conducting research in hydrography are the main responsibilities of NHO.

Most common and largely used activity is the maritime navigational charts. NARA produces maritime paper charts manually for Sri Lanka which are used by vessels for navigation in the Sri Lankan waters. Charts are made for all the commercial ports and almost all the fisheries harbours of Sri Lanka.

NARA is in the process of creating the navigation chart for Dikowita Fisheries Harbour, South Asia's largest fishing harbour which would be used by local and foreign vessels.