CHENNAI: ‘EMRIP Port connectivity project on track’

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 12, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/%E2%80%98Port-connectivity-project-on-track%E2%80%99/371684.html

CHENNAI: Stating that the TN government also wishes the speedy implementation of the much-delayed Rs 600-crore EMRIP project connecting Chennai with Ennore Port, Speaker D Jayakumar on Saturday said that the project is on the right track due to regular reviews.

Addressing the delegates after inaugurating the golden jubilee celebration of Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFFAI is the apex body of all Custom House Agents Associations in India), Jayakumar said, “I have a special interest in the project as Chennai Port falls in my constituency and congestion due to trailers would be eased once the project is implemented.”

Disclosing the mantra for keeping the road project on the right track, Jayakumar said, “Since the project is paramount to link Chennai and Ennore ports, we have frequent review meetings of all stakeholders including the Chennai Port Trust, TNSCB, TANGEDCO, Metrowater, NHAI and district administrations. The last one was held on Wednesday.” He also announced that the next review meeting of EMRIP project would be held on March 14, as there are some hurdles still to be sorted out.

Jayakumar also said that the 1.6 km roadwork, starting from the port’s Zero Gate up to the Kasimedu Fishing Harbour, has been progressing well.

Of the total length, about 600 metres work has been completed till now and authorities are in a position to complete the remaining work very soon, added Jayakumar.

Besides others, Shantanu Bhadkamkar, chairman of FFFAI and A V Vijayakumar, president of Chennai Custom House Agents’ Association (CCHAA) spoke.

Suspected killer ship sails into Chennai waters

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 6, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/suspected-killer-ship-sails-into-chennai-waters/369862.html

CHENNAI: Acting on the order of the Directorate General of Shipping (DG), M V Prabhu Daya, the ship  suspected to be involved in a fatal collision near Kerala coast a few days ago, reached the outer anchorage of Chennai Port on Monday evening. According to Chennai Port Trust sources, the vessel that has been allowed to berth at Bharathi Dock,   reached the outer perimeter of the Chennai Port late in the evening and was expected to berth in the early  hours of Tuesday.

Once the suspected ship is docked, it will be subjected to a detailed probe by different agencies, including the five-member team of Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) to ascertain the truth behind the fatal mid-sea mishap.

“Our officials (including one from Kerala) would board the ship on Tuesday morning to conduct the necessary enquiry as mandated by the Directorate General of Shipping,” a senior MMD official told Express. According to sources, the other teams that would be boarding the vessel along with the MMD’s surveyors are likely to conduct a series of inquiries with the crew members of the ship.

Besides, the probe team would also collect information about the movement of vessel and its journey-history through its voyage data recorder (VDR) during the time of the mishap, near the Kerala coast.

Though the ship was expected at Chennai Port by Sunday evening, its arrival was delayed as one of its crew members went missing in Sri Lankan waters and was eventually rescued by the local fishermen on Sunday.

After inspecting the vessel, the probe teams are likely to submit a comprehensive report with the DG Shipping, who will take a final call on whether the ship was indeed involved in the fatal collision off the Kerala coast.

'Killer ship' asked to report at Chennai Port

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 4, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/killer-ship-asked-to-report-at-chennai/369265.html

CHENNAI: MV Prabhu Daya, one of the cargo vessels suspected to be involved in the hit-and-run incident with a fishing boat off the Alappuzha coast on Thursday, has been ‘asked’ to report to the Chennai Port for a detailed probe. It is expected to reach here on Sunday evening. Two fishermen were killed in the collision while three others on the boat are still missing.

According to Coast Guard sources, MV Prabhu Daya, which had sailed from Panaji for Singapore, has been instructed to reach South Indian port (Chennai) “as soon as possible”.

The vessel was spotted off Trincomalee (Northern Sri Lanka) on Saturday forenoon with over 25 crew onboard.

“Out of eight vessels that were near the scene of crime, seven responded immediately; only MV Prabhu Daya did not respond to Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), hence we are treating it as a suspect,” a senior Coast Guard official told Express.

Besides the Coast Guard’s Eastern region’s team, three different teams from the Director General of Shipping (DGS), Indian Navy and Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) will reach Chennai by Sunday for detailed questioning of mv Prabhu Daya’s crew.

Since the vessel’s next scheduled port of call (POC) is in Singapore, it is still unclear whether it will be allowed to berth at Chennai Port or the probe teams will meet the crew at the outer anchorage.


UPDATE AT 1500 hrs on Monday: The ship yet to reach Chennai Port and the Coast Guard officials have said that the vessel would reach the harbour positively by 21.30 hrs on Monday.

Shipping Minister Vasan hints at privatising major ports

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Feb 20, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/vasan-hints-at-privatising-ports/365039.html

CHENNAI: All major ports in the country are aiming at bringing structural changes in the administration to improve organisational effectiveness, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan said.

Inaugurating the eighth edition of the PIANC international conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries (COPEDEC-2012) here on Sunday, Vasan said, “In addition to capacity augmentation, all the (13 major) ports are planning towards implementing the landlord port concept, limiting their role to maintenance of (approach) channels and basic infrastructure,  leaving development, operation, management of (container) terminal and cargo handling facilities to the private sector.”

Besides aiming at progressive use of information technology to cover the entire gamut of operations, Indian ports are gearing up to meet the anticipated demand from the trade in the years to come, Vasan added.

Strongly pitching for an economical and safe designs to improve the standard of ports in the country, Vasan said, “Research and development work in the (port engineering) field assumes significance to find innovative ways and means to develop structures which can meet the challenges of ever-changing size of ships in the global scenario.”

Engineering colleges and research institutes should tune into the present day requirements in the (port engineering) field and encourage students and research scientists to devote more time to these aspects, the minister added.

The eighth international conference is being organised for the first time in India at IIT Madras.About 230 delegates from 35 countries are participating in the five-day international conference.

Sigh of relief for EXIM traders as Chennai Trade Recovery goes

By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Feb 15, 2012:


Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Sigh-of-relief-for-EXIM-traders/363544.html
CHENNAI: Hundreds of EXIM traders using the Chennai Port for export and import of various goods through containers will be heaving a sigh of relief from Wednesday as the illegal collection of ‘Chennai Trade Recovery’ (CTR) surcharge would be withdrawn with effect from February 15.

At a marathon meeting organised by the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Chennai Zone, on Tuesday with all the stakeholders after the Madras High Court’s direction, a representative of the Chennai and Ennore Steamer Agents Association (CHENSAA) made the official announcement that the collection of CTR surcharge would be withdrawn from Wednesday morning.

Sources in the EXIM trade estimated that the shipping liners, under the guise of collecting trade recovery (from the Port users) could have collected about Rs 1,000 crore in the last six months alone.

According to trade sources, different shipping liners first imposed the surcharge from August 15 last year with a starting charge of about 65 USD per container. In the last six months, the surcharge, which was imposed citing congestion and poor evacuation mode inside the port, peaked to $200 per container. With the traders complaining that the collection of CTR was unjustified, the Chennai Port Trust management took up the issue with the Shipping Ministry.

Though the ChPT management termed the CTR collection illegal and even sent notices to a few shipping companies seeking explanation, shipping liners were reluctant and continued their collection spree.

With the shipping liners failing to withdraw CTR despite appeals, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan, in November last, took up the issue with the Commerce Ministry and promised the EXIM traders a solution.  On the other hand, a group of traders went to the HC seeking remedy to numerous problems (including CTR) they were facing in the Port. Based on the HC’s direction, the Chief Commissioner of Customs on Tuesday, organised the meet, which ended the problem.

CHENNAI PORT: Shift 50 workers from damaged dock, says BMS

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on September 14, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Shift-50-workers-from-damaged-dock-says-BMS/313682.html

CHENNAI: The lives of 50 people working at the damaged Bharathi Dock are under threat and the Chennai Port Trust management should relocate them to a safer place, the Port and Dock Labour Union, an affiliate of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, said on Tuesday.

In order to prevail upon the management on the ordeal of the panic-stricken employees, the Union members few days ago met the top officials of the Trust and asked them to shift the employees to safer ground from where they can continue their same work.Speaking to Express, R Santhanam, general secretary of the Union said, “Of the 50-odd employees, 15 are from Chennai Port Trust and the remaining are from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). They stay at the damaged dock office round-the-clock to check unloading of oil.”Ever since a pathway was damaged and submerged in sea at night a few days ago, all of them were in a panic-stricken condition as the spot where they used to spend hours on duty every day has also been in same dilapidated condition for years, said Santhanam.The Union attributed the mishap to the lackadaisical attitude of the port management on conducting regular safety checks. “Had the officials checked the strength of the pathway regularly, the mishap could have been averted,” Santhanam said.

Though the Trust has now halted all works at the site for carrying out repairs till September 23, they should also check the condition of the office-site, which is now standing precariously surrounded by seawater, he added.