Sri Lanka Launches First Homegrown Electronic Navigation Chart

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lanka National Hydrographic Office (SLNHO) added another feather to its recent streak of achievements with the publication of the new Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) of the Galle Harbour, at the SLNHO on 31st October 2024. 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 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 as 1907, and was categorized as very low accuracy data (CATZOC ‘C’) which had a wide array of anomalies also leading to a significant reduction of ships entering to the Galle Harbour. However, the timely publication of the new Galle Harbour ENC is expected to regain confidence of the mariners, also ensuring safety of life at sea as envisioned in the SOLAS Convention 1979. 

The new Galle Harbour ENC, which is a digital alternative for paper nautical charts (sea maps) helps sea fearers to navigate through 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 to national coffer, 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), Colombo, approximately 40,000 ships had traversed through the southern waters off Sri Lanka in 2023. Taking these matters into consideration, SLNHO will direct its focus towards the deeper waters around Sri Lanka as well.