No regulation of plying of Cargo Dinghy Yet: Administration turns Blind Eye towards Cargo Dinghy Operations for Neil, Havelock Islands

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Nov 26: The questionable business of operating cargo dinghies from Sippighat area to the nearby Islands like Neil and Havelock is flourishing day by day but the said business now poses serious threat to safety of human life and most importantly to security of these Islands.
At present several cargo dinghies are operating from the Joda Kalan area of Sippighat but there is no mechanism to check what exactly is being sent to Neil and Havelock Island. Even if huge quantity of liquor and Ganja is sent to Neil and Havelock Island, the authorities have no way to detect that.
Moreover, the Joda Kalan area of Sippighat is neither having any Port for the dinghies nor any safety zone for berthing of these cargo dinghies.
Loading Cargo in Dinghy’s at Joda Kalan area of Sippighat alongside the ATR Road is also creating traffic menace in the area and in the recent past traffic congestion have also been reported from the said area.
Here the million dollar question is when there is no regulation for plying of this Cargo Dinghies then why the administration has turned a blind eye towards this? Not only this, readers will be surprised to know that most of the government materials transportation is also done through these cargo dinghies.
Sadly the Administration doesn’t even have a full time Cargo vessel for Cargo transportation to Neil and Havelock Islands. Even if a Cargo vessel is somehow scheduled for Neil and Havelock Island the rates are kept so high that no businessmen book cargo on these vessels.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha recently, the Ex-Chairperson, PBMC, Mr K Ganeshan said that administration don’t bother about the security of these islands at all, if they would have done that, then surely they would have deputed some CISF staffs to check these Cargo, constructed a proper port and put efforts for regulating the said operation in a legal way. “All you have to do is to frame some guidelines to ensure safety of boat operators and security of these Islands and make this operation legal,” he said adding that “drug peddlers are using these Dinghies as a medium of supplying drugs and liquors to the Neil and Havelock Islands as it is easier and there is no check there. He said that earlier police team had already seized illegal liquor from the dinghies,” Mr Ganeshan said.
Further talking to Andaman Sheekha, Mr Akshay Pant a social worker, said that this operation must be stopped by the administration as till now there is no regulation made for such operations and the operation should only start after a port is constructed and a CISF unit with all checking equipments are deployed for such operations.
Meanwhile, the Sippighat Panchayat is charging Rs 2000 per Dinghy for providing space for berthing. The Pradhan of the Sippighat Panchayat Mr Vincent R Walter is supporting the Cargo Dinghy Operation. Talking to Andaman Sheekha, Mr Vincent said that the Cargo Dinghies are fulfilling the needs of the public at Neil, Havelock Island and the Sippighat Panchayat is also getting matching grant against the funds generated from operation of these dinghies.
“As far as the matter of port is related, I have already written a letter to the Chief Secretary for constructing a port in Joda Kalan, Sippighat area and the demand is being taken positively,” Mr Vincent said.
When Andaman Sheekha questioned the Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman, Mr Udit Prakash Rai for allowing a non-regulated business to flourish, he said that it has to be understood that this operations are on since years and there are around already 36 Cargo Dinghies in this operation.
“It is not like that we don’t have any concern for security and safety of these Islands as well as the workers of the Cargo Dinghies. We have already asked for details of all the crew members working in these dinghies and have also asked the dinghy operators to keep all safety equipments in these dinghies,” DC said.
The DC further said that an instruction has also been given to all the SHOs of Neil, Havelock and Pahargaon Police Unit to check the Cargo while loading and while unloading.
Many believe that because of lethargic attitude of Shipping Department and DSS’s high cost of cargo transportation transporting cargo via these small dinghies is actually benefit for everyone but if this is the case, why the Administration is not coming forward and declaring this business legal by formulating proper guidelines and deputing CISF personnel at Sippighat.