Sheekha Bureau
Port Blair, Jan 24: After 2014 tourist boat tragedy the local Administration made rules unbelievably tough for all small and big boats in Andaman. But somehow the small cargo dinghies managed to operate without a valid survey or clearance, which shows the importance of such small cargo dinghies in local economy and the support these dinghy operators enjoy.
Recent move of Andaman and Nicobar Administration to ban plying of small cargo dinghies between Port Blair and Havelock Island has triggered shortage of fuel and other essential commodities in tiny Havelock Island.
Although Neil Island somehow overcame the crisis as a private cargo vessel delivered fuel in Neil on Monday but Havelock, as it is claimed by Pradhan of Govind Nagar Panchayat Havelock, Mr. Ajith Kumar Roy.
“There is a serious shortage of fuel in Havelock. From this morning the shortage has hit movement of vehicles too. Not only fuel there is shortage of other commodities too including ration items,” Ajith Kumar Roy, pradhan of Havelock’s Govind Nagar Panchayat told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ today.
After a recent cargo dinghy accident near Havelock Island, the Administration took a solid stand in this entire issue and banned plying of small cargo dinghies.
Roy also met Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in this regard but till now, as he claims, there is no change in crisis.
“We want that the Administration must permit the small cargo dinghies again through Fisheries Department or Port Management Board. Otherwise there should be enough cargo ferries, in cheaper rate, for Havelock by DSS Vessels,” Roy added.
Meanwhile the Directorate of Shipping Services today reduced the cargo fares of DSS vessels and sent a Cargo vessel MV Badam to Havelock Island with some commodities but the response from people sending commodities to Havelock via DSS vessel was not encouraging. The cargo vessel MV Badam has nearly 100 MT capacity but there was hardly 5 MT cargo in the vessel today, enough to prove how much local businessmen prefer small cargo dinghies.
“The DSS is providing its services and so that the people may use the facility to the best, 30% of rates in the Cargo Vessels are also being decreased. Till the next coming 90 days the DSS is going to review that how the services are utilised by the people,” the Deputy Director, DSS, Mr R Veeraih told Andaman Sheekha today.
Although very risky, traders find sending cargo to nearby Havelock and Neil Islands via these small dinghies as best option as the service is easy to access and much cheaper.
A lobby is demanding immediate lifting of ban on small cargo dinghies but on the meantime, the move of Shipping Department to lower the cargo fares has however come as a great relief and with time it is expected that this may solve the crisis in coming days.
