Twenty-two Indian-flagged vessels carrying 611 seafarers remain in the western part of the Persian Gulf region, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said on Monday in an inter-ministerial media briefing organised at the National Media Centre.

The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) said it is monitoring the situation in coordination with ship owners, recruitment and placement agencies and Indian missions in the region.

LPG carrier Shivalik arrives at Mundra

An Indian-flagged LPG carrier, Shivalik, which crossed the Strait of Hormuz on March 14 carrying liquefied petroleum gas, is approaching Mumbai and is scheduled for priority discharge, the ministry said.

Another LPG carrier, Nanda Devi, which also crossed the strait with the same shipment, is expected to arrive shortly at Kandla Port.

Separately, the Indian-flagged vessel Jag Laadki, carrying about 80,800 metric tonnes of Murban crude oil, departed the United Arab Emirates on March 14 and is currently en route to India. Authorities said the vessel and its crew are safe.

JNPA offers support for cargo operations

Accroding to the ministerial statement, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has provided temporary transshipment storage for containers destined for the Middle East and introduced concessions to support exporters.

The port has granted a 100 per cent rebate on ground rent and dwell time charges for up to 15 days, along with about an 80 per cent rebate on plug-in charges for refrigerated containers originating from the port.

Export-bound containers at the port have declined from around 5,600 to about 3,900, according to officials.

Maritime monitoring and seafarer assistance

Major ports across the country are monitoring vessel movements and cargo operations while coordinating with shipping lines and other stakeholders. Ports are also offering concessions on anchorage, berth hire and storage charges to facilitate cargo operations.

Since the DG Shipping control room was activated, authorities have handled about 3,030 phone calls and 5,497 emails from seafarers, their families and maritime stakeholders seeking assistance.

The directorate has also facilitated the repatriation of 286 Indian seafarers from the Gulf region so far, including 33 in the past 48 hours.

Officials said there is currently no congestion at major ports, and authorities are coordinating with customs and other agencies to maintain continuity of maritime trade and port operations.

Source: ET Infra. Com 

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