Ship sent to Sri Lanka last year following request by Colombo to assist in tracing debris of vessel

An Indian Navy ship was sent to Sri Lanka last year following a request from that country for assistance in locating the debris of a vessel after it sank, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

He was replying to a question on whether the two navies conducted a joint safety study on the sinking of Singapore-flagged cargo vessel MV X-Press Pearl near the Colombo port.

''No joint study was conducted by Indian Navy (IN) and Sri Lankan Navy (SLN),'' Singh said in his written reply.

''However, post sinking of MV X-Press Pearl, a container carrying ship, a formal request was received from Government of Sri Lanka through High Commission of India, Colombo seeking assistance for undertaking survey of the area off Colombo to locate the debris of MV X-Press Pearl,'' he added.

''Accordingly, INS Sarvekshak, a hydrographic survey ship, was deployed off Colombo, Sri Lanka, from June 25 to July 2, 2021, for undertaking survey of the affected area,'' the defence minister said.

He said the ship undertook a survey off the Colombo harbour, using side-scan SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging).

''During the survey, 54 containers were detected on the seabed as well as an old wreck of a boat. However, no hazardous chemical was reported by the ship,'' Singh said.

To a separate question, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said the government has approved an initiative to set up 100 new Sainik schools in partnership with NGOs and private schools and the states.

He said the schools will be set up under the aegis of Sainik Schools Society.

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