VISAKHAPATNAM (PTI):  INS Sandhayak, the Indian Navy's oldest Hydrographic Survey Vessel, was decommissioned at the naval dockyard here on Friday after serving the nation for 40 years.

The ship was decommissioned at a low key event due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, a navy release said

The National Flag, Naval Ensign and the Decommissioning Pennant were lowered at sunset in the presence of Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh,Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command,the Chief Guest at the ceremony,it said.

The ceremony was also attended by Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar,Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India and by serving hydrographers, outstation ex-crew members and veterans virtually through live streaming.

The release said INS Sandhayak, during her 40 years of illustrious service, undertook over 200 major hydrographic surveys in the Western and Eastern coasts of the Indian peninsula, the Andaman Sea and in neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The ship also took part in important operations like'Operation Pawan' in Sri Lanka, 1987, 'Rainbow for Humanitarian Assistance' in the aftermath of the tsunami in 2004 and the maiden Indo-US HADR Exercise 'Tiger-Triumph' in 2019, the release added.