John Wilbert & Sarthak Kanjilall
Port Blair, Mar 06: After Port Blair, the Port Management Board is all set to update the Port in Kamorta as well as Mayabunder to bring them under the standards of the ‘International Ship Security Port Facility’.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha recently, Mr. Ishwar Singh, Harbor Master, Port Management Board said that the department is leaving no stone unturned to upgrade the facilities at Kamorta Port in Nancowry group of Islands and also at Mayabunder Port of North and Middle Andaman to bring them under the grade of ISPS.
“This will let the foreign flag vessels to enter the port and hence, it will generate revenue for the Islands as well as bring employment opportunities for the youths,” said Mr. Ishwar Singh.
Mr. Ishwar further said that already on 05th and 06th December 2019, ‘Port Facility Security Plan’ of Mayabunder Port was verified by one of the officers (Surveyor) of IRS Kolkata and the same verification was done by an officer of IRS Kolkata at Kamorta Port on dated 03rd, 4th and 6th December 2019.
Harbormaster said that the officer of IRS Kolkata has physically verified both the ports and now they will prepare a ‘Port Facility Security Plan’ and submit it to the MMD Kolkata for approval.
He added that once the plan is approved again it will be verified by the MMD Port Blair to issue SOC (Statement of Compliance) which we will soon complete.
“The draft has already been sent for approval and if there will be any modification we will rectify it and send again for approval and once we get the original plan we will proceed to get the SOC,” said the Harbormaster.
Mr. Ishwar said that to get all these things such as lighting in Ports, Gate Access, Channel, Control Tower up-gradation, equipment up-gradation et cetera will be checked and all this up-gradation has to be a continuous process.
After the ISPS of both Kamorta and Mayabunder Port is completed we will then proceed with Campbell Bay Port for ISPS. “Step by step we will try and get ISPS for all 11 ports in these Islands so that more number of foreign vessels enter our Islands to unload- upload cargo which will lead us to generate more revenue,” Mr. Ishwar added.
