What Ails Our Maritime Progress
By
Swayamprava
India has got a very vast coast line. But in shipping sector India is far behind the other developed countries. Even the tiny countries like Singapore, Malaysia are far more developed than that of India. While sailing with my husband, I managed to see a few hi-tech ports around the world for example Singapore, Hongkong, Seoul, Pusan, Nagoya, Kobe, Yokohama, Rio etc. After visiting these ports, I happened to see Paradeep port in my own state Orissa, I felt like screaming .Why our ports are in such wretched condition. Even China is far more developed than India. I visualize certain things which I think will be helpful to the maritime industry. Since Marine world has given us this opportunity to share I would like to share my vision with few questions to the government India, Ministry of Shipping, Directorate General of shipping and Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), will my vision be ever come true and If so when ?
What I saw out there let me describe it. First of all these countries are much more advanced and developed than India. It is because they have huge container depots adjacent to port area to store the transshipped containers, multimodal network is quite organized and optimized. Their governments are giving them free hand and made shipping friendly rules with freehand to shipping companies to develop the infrastructure and port development. Several multinational companies are given to develop their hi-tech ports and in comply with their need. Good salary packages and good working environment are another feature in those ports. The container jetties are fitted with hi tech gantries, the dry cargo ports are fitted with automatic loading and discharging machines and oil and gas jetties are automated and 24 hrs services are available in these ports.
These facts are not unknown to our government or our shipping companies, but still no initiative has been taken so far. Ports like Paradeep and Gopalpur are in crippling stage .What are that roadblock which can’t be removed by our government. Is it environment issue or mere inactiveness of the government? Why can’t they just follow the foot steps of these advanced countries and take initiatives? With our open economy, more and more shipping companies should be given chance to develop the vast coast line into several ports, cargo depots and shipping friendly environments just like that of in Singapore and Hongkong.
Apart from port development and urgent need to revolutionize the entire set up ,what we need a good educational environment to produce world class education in shipping ,and good officers, both in deck and engine side. Apart from this shipping architecture and ample ship yards. Since we have the raw materials, government should give enough freehand to companies to setup ship building yards in India itself. World class dry-docking facilities are an urgent need in India .
In maritime education and training, India leads from the front. But to attract the best brains to teaching sector, the revision in pay structure is very essential. There is a heaven and hell difference between the pay structure and hardly anybody is interested to teach young trainees yet to be officers appearing for Mates and Masters. That disparity needs to be curtailed down to ensure the brains take the charge to impart best of their shipping knowledge. The institutes need to be upgraded with more and more simulators, practical training, and ship in campus, man models etc followed by onboard training by the shipping companies. Government should approve online training facilities to ensure officers appear in exams in time at the same time they can earn. And I hope the problem of shortage of merchant navy officers will be solved.
Apart from these two , I think government should take certain steps to link all the major rivers to ensure inland transport ,which will be very cheaper mode of transport and during monsoon also the shipping industry can run in full swing.
One more thing which, I think, obstructs the growth is environment issues. But the thought about this make me to revolt. Why USA, Singapore, Hongkong are not bothered about their environment issue and that of the sea creatures and the vegetation near the coast. Our government should go with the one point agenda of development not to protect the environment but to develop our ports…..Which is an urgent need.
I had seen the entire process in which the shipping industry revolves around. Development of single port could generate thousands of jobs and could enrich our countries economy. Indigenously built ships in our own shipyards will be much more cost effective and anybody can own a ship .So need for these management companies to run around for ships through out the world. We can do our own chartering, ship insurance, ship breaking, brokerage etc. and man our own people. We have raw materials, we have consumers 100 billion people, we have a vast coast line ,we have number of professionals , what ails us is a little paradigm shift in our thinking and a big initiative from government, I think a great feature will be within our reach in few days…
Note :- This entry was written for the “Proud to be Mariner” contest, which fetched me the second place with a cash prize of Rs. 4000/-
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