CHIEF MINISTER Dr Pramod Sawant flagged off a state-of-the-art environment research ship “Thimaavesh” built by Vijay Marine Shipyard at Loutalim at the Panaji Ferry Terminal on May 22, 2023. The vessel is reportedly the largest IR class FRP Catamaran ship in India and was commissioned by the Maldives government at the behest of the World Bank. The CM said that it was a matter of pride for Goa that a Goan shipbuilding company won the contract to design and build the ship which is on par with international standards for the job it has been assigned to do. All this fits in with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Swayampurna Goa and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Present on the occasion was a beaming Vijai Marine Shipyard’s director, Suraj Jairam Dialani, who to a query later confirmed that this was a ship commissioned by the Ministry of Environment, Maldives under a World Bank project. “Thimaavesh” which was designed and built at Rassaim and will surely revolutionize the MSME and export sector of Goa, he expressed his happiness with the hope that Goa’s shipbuilding history will get a boost with this project for “Thimaaveshi” sets a benchmark in shipbuilding. This was a Rs8.5 crore contract and his company which was founded by his father in 1985 has a versatile profile, they have invested in ultra-modern machinery and equipment to enhance designing and building high-quality FRP boats. The company has a fiberglass-reinforced plastic boat division to enhance designing and building high-quality boats. It is the country first 30m catamaran ship and the company sets a national record by competing against international shipyards to be awarded the contract to design, build and deliver the monitoring and research vessel which it has done on time. What does the ship’s name of “Thimaavesh” mean? One of the guests from the Maldives who was here to attend the function replied, “It means `environment’ in the Maldivian language. Our seabed is quite different from the one you have in Goa which is generally made of gently slopes. In the Maldives shallow can suddenly plunge into very deep and now we are worried about global sea warming and how it will impact the islanders…this boat will do research and come up with some solutions hopefully!”