The Sri Lanka National Hydrographic Office (SLNHO) published the new Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) of the Galle Harbour yesterday, intending to encourage more ships to enter the harbour.
According to the Sri Lanka Navy, this is the first ENC produced by the Sri Lanka National Hydrographic Office since its establishment. The production of this ENC signifies the recent efforts by the SLNHO as a part of a national responsibility entrusted by the National Hydrographic Act No: 7, 2024.
This new edition substitutes the previous ENC (GB500819) for Galle Harbour produced by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) which contained very old data as far back as 1907 and was categorized as having very low accuracy data (CATZOC ‘C’) which had a wide array of anomalies also leading to a significant reduction of ships entering the Galle Harbour.
However, the timely publication of the new Galle Harbour ENC is expected to regain the confidence of the mariners, also ensuring the safety of life at sea as envisioned in the SOLAS Convention 1979.
The new Galle Harbour ENC, a digital alternative for paper nautical charts (sea maps), helps seafarers navigate oceans and is issued under LK ENC series No: LK5G04A1. These new ENCs are set to enhance the National Hydrographic Office’s capability to generate foreign exchange for national coffers, as this chart comes with an annual subscription of USD 25 from each user.
The new Galle ENC is produced as part of the ENC production plan of the SLNHO which initially focused on harbour ENCs and harbour approaches ENCs. As per data available at the Information Fusion Center (IFC) in Colombo, approximately 40,000 ships had traversed through the southern waters of Sri Lanka in 2023.
The Sri Lanka Navy said taking these matters into consideration, SLNHO will direct its focus towards the deeper waters around Sri Lanka as well. (Newswire)