Bureau Report
Port Blair, Feb 21: What can be considered as the best example of Shipping Department’s highest level of unprofessional and negligent attitude, 700 passengers suffered untold harassment for more than 48 hours inside un-seaworthy M V Nicobar since Nov 18, 2013.
According to passengers of M.V Nicobar was scheduled to sail for Port Blair from Vizag on 16th Feb but due to technical reasons the ship was rescheduled for 17th Feb but again on the scheduled date the ship couldn’t sail and finally it sailed from Vizag on 18th Feb.
The ship had sailed merely a distance of 100 Nautical Miles when it suffered from engine failure.
Both the engines of the ship failed and the ship floated amidst the sea with Seven Hundred passengers onboard and without resources that could cater to the needs of the number of passengers, it had onboard.
Nearly for forty eight hours no relief came to the passengers struck amidst the open sea and they remained all alone with their exhausted ship, struggling to live on the limited resources that she had on it.
Sources have informed that the passengers suffered scarcity of water and many of them were really frightened as they had doubts about reaching home safely.
After nearly forty eight hours due to the constant efforts of the ship staffs and the passengers one engine was made operational and finally the ship sailed back to Vizag morning at about 10:00 PM on 20/02/2013 at very low speed. According to passengers, M.V Nicobar reached Vizag Port at about 11:00 AM today.
After reaching Vizag the main concern of the people were to get shelter and food which most of them were not able to afford since they were doing the journey with very little money as they belonged to economically weaker sections of the society. Passengers after reaching Vizag Port launched a strike to get accommodation and food until they are not taken back to Port Blair and finally after the strike the authorities agreed to provide them with accommodation and food till they are taken back to Port Blair. Arrangements are made for people to stay at the ship only, which is now docked at Vizag Port and food is being provided to them.
Meanwhile they have also been informed that M.V Swarajdeep is going to sail specially to take them to Port Blair on 24/02/2013 from Port Blair and will sail back from Vizag on 28/02/2013 and food charges in this ship till it reaches Port Blair will be bared by the authorities and passengers will be provided with free food.
Andaman Sheekha contacted a passenger onboard M.V Nicobar to know the latest situation there at Vizag upon which the passenger informed that “We were struck in middle of the sea form 18/02 but no help was received from any authorities, we were constantly sending messages to the Administration over Satellite Phone of the ship but we got no response. There were a lot of problems onboard specially the scarcity of food and water. There were many patients also who needed medical care. Later on 20/02 at about 8:00 Pm due to the efforts of the ship staff and passengers one engine was made operational and then the ship was taken back to Vizag Port at reduced speed and we reached Vizag Port at about 11:00 Am today,” the passenger told Andaman Sheekha.
Meanwhile Andaman Sheekha contacted Mr. Sheo Pratap Singh , IAS, Secretary (Prsn/Shipping ) to clarify certain things when Mr.
Singh was asked about the reasons for the failure of the engines that led seven hundred people distressed he said “At present our aim is to do primary arrangements and we will look into the cause afterwards.”
When Mr. Sheo was asked about arrangements to bring the seven hundred distressed people back to Port Blair he informed that M.V Swarajdeep is sailing for bringing them back on 24/02/2013 from Port Blair.
When Mr. Sheo was asked whether there were adequate means of communication on board he said that all ships are equipped with communication means and the DSS and SCI tracks them regularly and they are not left in the sea without communication systems.
Peoples returning from Mainland are known to spend the last possible penny purchasing essentials. Thus if the journey gets extended there is every possibility that they would run out of funds to foot the bills for the extended stay.
Also eatables specially the perishables they had been carrying would not remain fresh during extended journey time. Such a situation therefore brings uncountable hardships to the passengers. They therefore must be provided immediate assistance for their stay, food and replacement ship.
I suggest advancing the schedule of MV Swarajdweep so that it could pickup the stranded passengers at the earliest.
If the secretary says that the DSS was constantly in touch with the ship then why no help was sent to the ship. They should have sent the special engineers in a helicopter for fast repair or they could have dropped the necessary things on the ship, navy could have called in. This treatment by ANI only tells that they do not bother; care or they have no one in Vizag to listen them. Stringent action has to be taken on all responsible and also for official who have not acted smartly.