Kutch (Gujarat): Commercial cargo ship MV Chem Pluto recently caught fire in the Indian Ocean. However, there was a panic over reports that the fire on the ship was reportedly caused by an Iranian drone strike. There have also been incidents of attacks on ships by pirates and terrorist groups in the Mediterranean Sea in the past. Such incidents can have an adverse impact on other activities including business.
Ports operating in Indian waters handle a large number of vessels and handle millions of tonnes of cargo every day. If the number of attacks on cargo ships increases, import-export activities through the port may also be adversely affected. Other activities may also be impacted. Attacks on ships can affect port operations.
Attacks on ships can affect the movement of cargo ships at ports and trade worth crores of rupees. Public Relations Officer of Mundra Adani Port Jaideep Shah said at present the number of attacks on ships at Adani Port located in Mundra, Kutch is less. "Therefore, regular circulation continues and approximately 30 to 38 vessel movements occur per day. If the number of attacks on ships increases in future, the country's import-export activities may be affected. Additionally, the annual movement of 157 million metric tons of goods and trade worth crores may also be affected," he added.