News

Sri Lanka strives to boost marine safety and revenue through navigational chart production

Published

2 years ago

2023/11/24

Pramitha Tennakoon

In a televised discussion, Pramitha Tennakoon, State Minister of Defence, highlighted Sri Lanka’s need to produce 122 electronic navigational charts covering the Sea of Sri Lanka, revealing that only six have been created thus far.

However, the government has taken steps to finaliSe these charts by mid -2025, he said.

“Sri Lanka needs a deep water multi beamer and a shallow water multi beamer to produce these charts. If we have one of each, it will take us two years to produce the 122 charts. However, I think we can have two of each machine. So, we think we can finalize the charts within a year to 18 months. We are trying to finalize the charts by mid-2025,” he said.

The country has continued to neglect the opportunity to earn significant foreign revenue by providing electronic navigational charts to ships that cross the Sea of Sri Lanka every day, the state minister of defence said.Sri Lanka in 2022 took the first steps to become a country that produces these charts, he said.

Tennakoon said a state institution had been entrusted with producing these electronic navigational charts. However, not a lot of progress had been made, he said.

However, he said the Sri Lanka Navy had expressed willingness to undertake the task of mapping out an essential map for safe marine navigation for ocean-going ships sailing in Sri Lankan waters. This is one of the busiest sea lanes. Annually, about 45,000 ships cross the sea of Sri Lanka, he said.

“Most people think these ships should come to our ports for us to make an income. This is not true. When I took over as state minister of defence, officials from the Navy’s hydrography office came to meet me. They showed me how busy the sea of Sri Lanka is and that we can make hundreds of millions of dollars each year by selling electronic navigational charts,” he said.

Many countries require merchant ships to have these maps on board for safe navigation when they have entered a specific country’s waters, wherever the ships’ destination may be, and pay for the host country’s service, he said.

Electronic navigational charts are a marine geo-spatial product and service required to be used by international law to ensure the safe navigation of merchant ships.

Those ships did not necessarily have to enter a country’s seaport, the state minister said.

” But they need to use it while sailing in a country’s waters to comply with safety protocols. An electronic navigational chart will measure the water depth, the shape of the seafloor and coastline, the location of possible obstructions and physical features of the sea at the time and help keep maritime transportation moving safely and efficiently in any given region. The map obtains necessary data by surveying with multibeam echosounders. The accuracy of the hydrography map is critically important for many applications to reduce uncertainties while sailing in coastal lines, he said.

“They indicate shoals, rocks and wrecks that could be hazards to navigation. They also collect information on water levels, tides, currents, etc. The maps will indicate the shoreline and square nautical miles of a country’s waters, which are considered critical to navigation. Now, the government has focused on mapping out an indigenous hydrography map to earn foreign currency from the service because it is our business, and we have to claim it,” Tennakoon said.

Each vessel needs two electronic navigational charts, and as a coastal nation, Sri Lanka also has a responsibility to provide these charts, he said.

“However, Sri Lanka still relies on paper charts, and some of these are over 100 years old. We need 122 electronic navigational charts to cover the Sea of Sri Lanka. We have only produced six of these charts. Furthermore, we still depend on charts made by the British,” he said

Tennakoon said that producing those charts was vital for our national security, economic prosperity and sovereignty. 200 million dollars was equal to the total annual turnover of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, he said.

“Trust in the accuracy of our existing charts is low. All ships are insured. When they travel through areas that are not properly chartered, the insurance premium is higher. If our charts are better, the cost of transporting goods to Sri Lanka by ship will drop.,” he said.

In January 2023, the President issued a special gazette proclamation to establish a National Hydrographic Office. The state minister said the navy has been called upon for mapping.

“The national hydrographic bill has been presented and accepted to the cabinet. This was presented to Parliament by the Minister of Justice on 03 October. Now anyone can challenge the bill,” he said. (RK)

All News Advertisement

Related Topics:chart production Pramitha Tennakoon State Minister of Defence

Up Next

Young tusker caught in trap electrocuted

Don't Miss

23 Jaffna residents duped by swindlers promising foreign jobs

Click to comment

Latest News

In order to safeguard the future of the country, a quality human resource must be developed. – Prime Minister

Published

1 hour ago

2026/02/1

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that in order to ensure the economic, social, and cultural security of the country, it is essential to develop a quality human resource, and that education plays a vital role in achieving this goal.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the government is committed to bring about a transformation in the education sector, and that the government will continue to move forward by overcoming obstacles encountered along the way, guided by a clear vision and purpose.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the EDCS Sisu Nena Pranama scholarship award ceremony held on Saturday (31) at Temple Trees, organized to recognize the children of the members of the Education Co-operative Society (EDCS) who have been selected to state universities for the academic year2023/2024.

Elaborating further, the Prime Minister noted that this program, organized by the Education Service Employees– Co-operative Thrift and Credit Society Ltd, is not merely about providing scholarships, but is an occasion that recognizes and appreciates the dedication of students and their parents who are preparing to shoulder the responsibility of the country’s future.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that it is a remarkable achievement that a society which began in 1930 with just 58 members and a membership fee of one rupee has today grown into the largest cooperative society in South Asia, with approximately 215,000 members.

The Prime Minister further highlighted how rapidly the world is changing, and the increasing necessity of developing human resources in the face of economic and environmental crises. She stressed that the education system must be transformed from the level of school education itself to align with the demands of the modern world, and that students entering universities should become leaders and active participants in this transformation.

Noting that out of nearly 300,000 students who enter primary education each year, only about 40,000 gain admission to universities, the Prime Minister urged students to make use of this opportunity for the development of the country.

Addressing the occasion, Deputy Minister of Labour and General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Service Union, Mahinda Jayasinghe, stated that due to corruption-free management, it was possible to increase the financial stability of the society from Rs. 1,200 million to Rs. 1,700 million within a short period of approximately nine months.

Under this year’s program, scholarships amount to over Rs. 13.7 million were awarded to 2,292 students who have been selected to state universities.

This scholarship program, which initiated in 1984 with 15 students and an initial fund of Rs. 3,500, has been conducted continuously for 41 years. At present, scholarships of up to a maximum of Rs. 75,000 per student are awarded, demonstrating the collective strength and solidarity of the teaching community.

The event was attended by the Chairman of the Education Development Cooperative Society, Lal Kumara, the Western Province Director of Education, Darshani Iddamalgoda, along with other officials.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

Police face 32,000-officer shortage:IGP

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/1

Thilina Walpola

IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya says that the Police is facing a shortage of nearly 32,000 personnel and is currently operating well below its required strength.

He made these remarks while attending a ceremony held on Friday morning (30) to recognise the contribution of fingerprint officers, crime analysis officers and forensic photographers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department for their role in solving crimes.

Addressing the gathering, the IGP said that around 2,500 police officers are due to retire this year, with a further 2,700 officers expected to retire next year.

In view of the growing cadre shortfall, he said plans are underway to recruit 10,000 new officers to the Sri Lanka Police in the future.

News

Lanka’s Sabina Yousaf wins Mrs. Photogenic, Second Runner-Up at Mrs. World

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/1

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lanka earned international recognition at the 41st Mrs. World pageant, with Sabina Yousaf being named Second Runner-Up, marking a notable achievement for the country at the prestigious global competition.

In addition to securing a top-three finish, Yousaf also won the Mrs. Photogenic mini-title and placed among the Top 20 contestants, underscoring her strong performance on the international stage.

The Mrs. World 2025 crown was won by Chanita Seedaket Craythorne of Thailand, while Paige Ewing of the United States was declared First Runner-Up.

The grand finale was held on 29 January in Las Vegas, Nevada, and featured contestants from more than 60 countries competing for the coveted title.

The announcement of the Top Three finalists placed Sri Lanka alongside leading global pageant contenders, reinforcing the country’s growing presence in international pageantry.

Final Results – Mrs. World 2025:

Winner: Thailand – Chanita Seedaket Craythorne

First Runner-Up: United States – Paige Ewing

Second Runner-Up: Sri Lanka – Sabina Yousaf