Rahul Singh & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Oct 12: MV Kalighat vessel reportedly berthed at Campbell Bay jetty on 11.10.2021 after midnight at around 00.30 AM, causing huge inconvenience to passengers. According to the passengers, not only the timing was odd but also the weather was bad, causing huge problems for passengers in disembarkation process, especially to the aged people and women passengers.
Although the local Administration had already arranged buses for passengers but still the timing was wrong for many passengers who did not disembark and preferred to come out of the ship only in the morning hours.
When questioned, the incharge PMB (Campbell Bay) about permitting the ship to berth at Campbell Bay Port in such a bad weather, he said that he has orders from the Harbour Master. When asked that who would have been responsible if such risky berthing caused any accident, the in-charge said that would have been the responsibility of the captain of the ship.
The PMB might be technically right about such berthing at night hours and during heavy rain but isn’t the convenience of passengers should have been the top priority for the Directorate of Shipping Services and PMB.
