Sanjib Kumar Roy & Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, May 01: The passenger ship MV Nancowry has made a new record of public suffering as it reached Port Blair from Chennai in 110 hours at the speed of 7 knots.
Surprisingly after Annual Passenger-ship Survey (APS) at Chennai this was MV Nancowry’s first sailing towards Port Blair. Technically after APS this ship should have been in best condition but sadly while sailing towards Andaman, both the main engines developed technical snags one by one.
According to highly placed sources after sailing one engine developed complications first and by the time the engine was opened and faults were rectified the other engine also developed some complications and this is the reason why the RPM/speed of the ship was reduced.
Sources told Andaman Sheekha that the ship reached Chennai for APS on 23rd February but the ship was sent to anchorage for nearly 10 days. Finally on 5th March the ship was allowed to port at Chennai port at 10.00 pm.
At Chennai port the APS was conducted till 22nd April and on 24th April the ship sailed for Port Blair from Chennai with passengers.
One wonders that when APS was conducted thoroughly and Certificate A was issued to the ship how both the main engines developed technical snags in mid-sea. Does this mean that the APS was not conducted properly? What will happen if tomorrow both the engines of the ship shut down in mid sea, with hundreds of passengers onboard?
Believe it or not after reaching Port Blair only fumigation of the ship was done that too only for few hours and no major repair of the engine was carried out. Most importantly tomorrow again the ship is sailing for Chennai with passengers? Now the question every public is asking whether travelling in this ship is safe?
When Andaman Sheekha called the Director of Shipping Services, Captain (IN) Rajinder Kumar to get answer of all these questions and get the matter cross checked he refused to answer public question saying “You people call anytime you want.”
If this remains the attitude of senior most officers of Shipping Services and if public issues are taken so lightly in such a way, one can understand how safe people of these Islands will be in passenger ships.
There are many other issues too. The Directorate of Shipping Services must answer that why the Ship was sent to Chennai port when Chennai is not a recognized dockyard and as per rules for APS a ship should go on a recognised dockyard.
Sources allege that Chennai dockyard is even not a Marine Mercantile Department approved certified workshop and there is lack of skilled labour and tools in the Chennai dockyard as per sources. But sadly there is no one in Shipping Department to clarify these issues and answer to questions raised by public and asked by media.
The Lt. Governor had recently directed all departments to answer to media queries for the sake of transparency and public information but it seems some departments are also taking Lt. Governor’s directive too lightly.
The Million Dollar question is how media will report on crucial issues like this when Administration does not respond to media questions and run away from crucial questions.
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