Navy's hydrographic survey ship INS Sandhayak decommissioned after 40 years of service

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 4 : After serving the nation for 40 years, INS Sandhayak, the oldest Hydrographic Survey Vessel of Indian Navy, was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
According to an official release, during the 40 years of illustrious service in the Indian Navy, INS Sandhayak undertook over 200 major hydrographic surveys in Western and Eastern coasts of the Indian peninsula, the Andaman Sea, and surveys in neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The ship also took part in important operations like operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, 1987, operation Rainbow for Humanitarian Assistance in the aftermath of Tsunami in 2004 and the maiden Indo-US HADR Exercise Tiger-Triumph in 2019.
The ship was decommissioned in a solemn and low key event due to the ongoing COVID Pandemic when the National Flag, Naval Ensign, and the Decommissioning Pennant were lowered at sunset time in the presence of Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, AVSM, VSM Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command, the Chief Guest for the ceremony.
The Decommissioning Ceremony was also attended by Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar, AVSM, NM Chief Hydrographer to government of India and by serving Hydrographers, outstation ex-crew members and veterans virtually through live streaming.