New Rs 1600 Cr DRDO Unit In Nagarjuna Sagar To Manufacture Underwater Systems

Telangana government will provide land, power and water to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for setting up a unit at Nagarjuna Sagar in Nalgonda.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao held a review with ministers and officials on Wednesday concerned here on the issue, a release from his office said. 100 Acres has been sanctioned for the project.

DRDO plans testing and manufacture of critical components and subsystems of underwater systems which operate in  harsh sea water environment.  Presently there is a field testing in Nagarjuna Sagar to subject the systems to extreme hydrostatic pressure conditions. DRDO wont test these sub assemblies etc., straight away at sea as loss of such system during trials would result in massive losses. Therefore some captive testing is essential in actual field conditions creating nearly the sea conditions and at the same time be capable of recovering the equipment from water even in the event of failure of the test/trial. For this purpose, NSTL created field test facilities such as Lake Test Facility at Nagarjuna Sagar. 

Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir when full will be able to provide a depth of about 60 m and in the lean season a depth of around 30 m. In this vast reservoir an area of about 10-20 sq. km stretch is available to carryout the underwater testing of torpedoes and mines. The facility is already equipped with a Catamaran Launch and Recovery Vessel (CTLRV) and a Gemini boat.

The proposed unit would be an important wing of DRDO, that manufactures the components being tested here and would be linked to unit in Hyderabad. It will cater to therequirements of the Defence Ministry, which has been depending on foreign countries for the products to be manufactured there, it said. The new facility, to be set up with an investment of Rs 1,600 crore, would generate employment on a large scale in the newly formed state, the release quoted CM KCR as saying at the meeting.

The government would also construct an air strip at Nagarjuna Sagar for the convenience of officials and tourists, the release added