Indian Navy arrives to conduct Hydrographic surveys on Maldivian waters.
Under an agreement made by the respective governments of both nations, an Indian Navy ship arrived in the Maldives on April 18th to conduct a hydrographic survey of Maldivian waters from Haa Alif atoll to Noonu atoll. The Hydrography Office, which was authorized to be created under MNDF, was established earlier this year in January, after the agreement was signed on June 8, 2019.
MNDF stated that the survey will begin on the 21st of April and conclude on the 15th of May. The survey which has been divided into certain subsections, perviously oversaw the hydrographic research of the waters from Haa Dhaal atoll to Shaviyani atoll.
The Indian surveying team met with the Coast Guard Commander, Colonel Ibrahim Haleem, to discuss how the survey will be carried out. The meeting was also attended by the Director General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Brigadier General (retired) Zakariyyaa Mansoor, as well as a number of other high-ranking Coast Guard personnel.
The Indian government will profit immensely from these hydrographic surveys, according to MNDF officials at a meeting conducted at the People’s Majlis last year by the Safety Relations committee. The Maldivian government would make roughly 35 percent in commission fees if the hydrographic maps were sold to the Maldives, whereas sales to other international parties would only offer Maldives 25 percent in royalty fees.
