Govt mulling to bring back thousands of Indian seafarers stranded at foreign ports: DG Shipping

In this article, ETV Bharat reporter Chandrakala Choudhury outlines the government's stand on bringing back Indian seafarers stranded at foreign ports. DG Shipping Amitabh Kumar told ETV Bharat that the SOP for chartered flights to evacuate them has already been approved and the operation would start very soon.

New Delhi: In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, the Director-General (DG) of Shipping Amitabh Kumar said that the matter to bring back the Indian seafarers stuck at the overseas port is being discussed, however, it is expecting that some guidelines for foreign ports would come up soon.

"The demand is to evacuate them through chartered flights. SOP for chartered flights has already been approved and we expect that it would start very soon. The people who are onboard ships at different ports have to be brought on chartered flights. Some we expect will come using sea routes for which voyages are being prepared and the remaining will have to come by chartered flights for which discussion is underway with the government," he said.

Kumar reiterated that around 600-700 crew have already reached via ship and were unloaded in India, but the problem is with those who need to undertake international flights. Once the chartered flights are allowed to operate, these Indian seafarers will be able to reach. Whereas, the majority of them has started planning their voyage from different places.

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"Discussions are going on amongst the International shipping trade bodies and International Maritime Organization as to how to design an international SOP which would allow movement of the crew in the present situation. Once they come up with the draft, they will circulate to other countries. To evacuate seafarers from foreign ports requires cooperation amidst all the countries. International efforts are underway", Kumar told ETV Bharat.

Underlining that the cruise industry will suffer due to the pandemic, DG Kumar said, "Some sectors of shipping are suffering but the cruise industry is very badly affected. There are many sub-sectors in shipping and we have to analyze how the tanker industry will perform or chemical tanker industry will perform but one thing is very clear that cruise ships are going to suffer. That is the indication so far. We have to plan our strategies accordingly."

"Around 15,000 seafarers working in the cruise sector are yet to come back-among which more than 5000 would be coming to India using air route and more than 9000 using the sea route. Three ships are expected to reach India in a couple of days carrying 100-200 crews from different places via sea route," he informed.

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"It is a stressful time even for normal people, I feel that a seafarer is safer onboard than undertaking an international journey at this time of crisis. Our advice to them is that they should continue in the ship itself. Not only India but all the countries in the world will have to agree that the flights should resume.

Currently, some countries are allowing their citizens to come but the majority are under lockdown. My advice to the seafarers is to stay on board unless it is very necessary. As and when the air services improve and the international organizations come up with the uniform guidelines for the sign on and sign off, one should continue working. Of course, those who are sailing to India are free to sign off in India and for the seafarers who are not, it would be advisable that they stay on board. Because for a company who have five to ten sear fares onboard would be impossible for them to manage transports for these seafarers", the DG added.

Some seafarers have been struck from several days after their contracts have ended and are eagerly waiting to get repatriated to their homeland. Second mate Ankit Thakur working for a European based shipping company says, he had joined the ship on November 25, 2019 and was about to sign off on April 26, 2020, as his contract finishes but unable to do so due to the lockdown and that he will have to be on board for 9 months now which is frustrating.