Kannur: Steel Industries Kerala Ltd (SILK) is set to undertake a landmark project in its history by dismantling the decommissioned submarine INS Sindhudvaj of the Indian Navy.
INS Sindhudvaj, the submarine that served the Indian Navy for 35 years, will be dismantled by SILK's skilled team at the Ship Breaking Unit at Azhikkal. This project is expected to not only showcase SILK's advanced capabilities in maritime engineering but also open up new avenues for similar ventures in the future.
“The project is a challenging one in the history of SILK. Though we have experience in dismantling around 60 ships and many boats, it is a fresh endeavour to break a submarine at our facility. We have taken this as a huge possibility to showcase our talent and expand our horizons to more challenging profiles. The firm is very optimistic at present and we have started getting fresh inquiries of similar works following the assignment to break one of the Indian Navy's proudest assets,” said T G Ullas Kumar, Managing Director of SILK.
The submarine weighs around 2,000 tons and SILK has engaged 30-40 labourers daily to break it. They are expected to complete the work in six months. “The major challenge of breaking a submarine is that around 50 per cent of its parts are submerged in water. The special interest of the state government has helped to get the work of the submarine otherwise it would have gone to Gujarat. The government has a policy to collect maximum scrap from the submarine as it has many precious minerals. We will break the submarine with a focus on collecting maximum reusable products. SILK is acting as a third party here,” Ullas Kumar added.
A private firm, Sithara Traders, has bought the submarine after decommissioning. They have approached the SILK to break it as there are only limited facilities in India with the expertise.
The scrap will be handed over to the firm that bought the submarine and SILK is expected to get a revenue of Rs 40 lakhs from this work. INS Sidhudwaj was commissioned into the Navy in 1987 and decommissioned on July 16, 2022. It has been brought from the Visakhapatnam port to Azhikkal for dismantling.
