Efforts on to press MV Afra Bay and MV Karmatang back into service
Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Sept 17: Following series of reports in local media about sick vessels, MV Afra Bay and MV Karmatang, the Directorate of Shipping Services has now pull up its socks to anyhow press these two sick ships back into services.
On 8th September 2012, a team of DSS asked the crew members of the MV Afra Bay to berth the vessel at Phoenix Bay jetty.
Eye witnesses told Andaman Sheekha that the sick Vessel approached the jetty uncontrollably and smashed the Jetty hard. As the Vessels runs completely by electric power and have no shaft or propeller it becomes almost impossible for the crew members to control the speed of the vessel and hence it usually collides with the Jetty very badly. Experts believe that such bumpy berthing will not only put life of passengers at risk but will also cause serious damages to the Jetties.
According to reports, the vessels were built jointly by GRSE Ltd and Corporated Shipyard Pvt Limited, Kolkata in 2008. The vessels were designed and supervised by National Ship Design & Research Centre, Vizag, a Ministry of Shipping & Transport Enterprise.
Roll on/roll off was a design where the vehicles could move in from one and move out from the other.
Further, the vessels were jet propelled ones powered by three 450 hp Cummins DG sets with two orifices each on portside and starboard side and two each at the front and rear though, in such concept there would be no front and rear. The vessel did not need to take a turn as it could move back and forth and sideways as the necessity demanded.
The traditional ‘wheelhouse’ did not have any wheel but two joysticks like those in aircrafts for manoeuvring. This makes it difficult for the crew members to control the movement of the boat.
Nearly two weeks ago when Andaman Sheekha contacted the Director of Shipping Services he accepted that the Directorate is putting its best efforts to press these two vessels back into service. But the question remains whether it will be safe to do that.
“Both the vehicle fairy are in repair, 90% of works of MV Afra Bay are completed. We have already operated it for 5 days between Chatham to Bambooflat. We are learning from whatever mistakes designers have done, we are evaluating the mistakes. We are not designers, everybody has given up but we didn’t give up,” Capt Seshasai, the Director of Shipping Services told Andaman Sheekha.
Though the efforts of DSS is commendable but the vessels must not be brought back only to prove the media wrong and by putting lives of thousands of passengers to grave risk.
“The vessels can’t operate in Andaman Sea. Even at Baratang and Kadamtala Creeks the vessel can’t operate. The Administration must send these vehicles back to the shipyard. Why to compromise with the safety of passengers to justify the purchase of these sick vessles,” said a staff of DSS, on the condition of anonymity. (With inputs from The Light of Andamans)
