Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, virtually laid the keel of the country’s largest dredger to be built at the Cochin Shipyard, marking a significant milestone in enhancing India’s maritime capabilities. The Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger, christened Godavari, is being built for the Dredging Corporation of India.

The vessel has a hopper capacity of 12,000 cubic meters and will be built in collaboration with Royal IHC of the Netherlands. Once commissioned, it will be the most technologically advanced dredger built in the country, which will significantly enhance India’s dredging capabilities. The keel laying also marks a major step towards the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Central government.