Navy inaugurates 300 housing units, hospital and access facilities at Karwar base
Karwar, Oct 15. The Indian Navy has inaugurated 300 residential units for its civilian employees, healthcare infrastructure and key utility and access facilities at Naval Base Karwar in Karnataka under Phase IIA of Project Seabird.
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, inaugurated the facilities on October 15 in the presence of Vice Admiral Vivek Dahiya, Director General Seabird, and other senior naval officers, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on October 17.
The newly inaugurated infrastructure includes five residential towers housing 300 dwelling units for naval defence civilians and a Station Health Organisation complex. The development is part of the expansion of the existing naval hospital, INHS Patanjali, whose capacity is being augmented to 409 beds.
The facilities are supported by a two-lakh-litre hilltop water reservoir and a sewage treatment plant. To cater to the growing requirements of the expanding naval base, the Navy has also inaugurated an integrated solid waste management facility, an access gate and bridge infrastructure designed to support four-lane vehicular traffic, with dedicated pathways for pedestrians and cyclists.
The infrastructure forms part of Phase IIA of Project Seabird, which envisages the development of a dual-use Naval Air Station, a full-fledged naval dockyard and logistics facilities for ships and aircraft.
The expanded base is expected to accommodate around 10,000 uniformed and civilian personnel and their families. The project is also expected to generate economic activity across the Uttara Kannada region by supporting local industry and tourism and creating direct and indirect employment opportunities.
The project adheres to applicable norms of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). It is expected to receive an IGBC Gold rating upon completion.
Reflecting the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) initiative, more than 90 per cent of the materials and equipment for the project are being sourced domestically, according to the Ministry of Defence.
