Latest news with #CochinPortAuthority
Time of India
12 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Will speed up shoreline protection work at Chellanam, collector tells Kerala HC
Kochi: The Ernakulam district collector has informed high court that although ongoing adverse climatic conditions have hampered the progress of shoreline protection work at Chellanam, efforts will be made to expedite the work by deploying additional manpower. The submission was made in a report filed in response to a petition filed by T A Dalfine of Chellanam and two other residents seeking protection measures for the coastal area, which remains vulnerable to sea inundation. The report noted that the shoreline protection work, involving the use of sand-filled geo bags, is being undertaken on a war footing. The court recorded the assurance given by the collector and adjourned the matter to June 26. It further observed that the petitioners may submit any suggestions concerning the shore protection work in writing to the collector. Earlier, HC had directed the collector to convene a meeting of the stakeholders and submit a report. In that report, one suggestion was to deposit sand dredged by the Cochin Port Authority in the affected area. However, the standing counsel for the Cochin Port Trust submitted that under the permission granted pursuant to the Environment Protection Act, 1986, the Authority is required to deposit the dredged sand in a specifically designated area in the sea. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo It was submitted that depositing the sand elsewhere, including in the affected area, would amount to a modification of the environmental clearance, which is not permissible. Therefore, such an action cannot be directed, even as a temporary measure.
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Exposing Systemic Flaws: The Sinking of MSC ELSA-3 and Its Lessons for Global Shipping, ET Infra
Advt Advt By , ETInfra On Saturday, May 24 around 1.30 p.m., container ship MSC ELSA-3 was just 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi when it developed a list or tilt to one side due to flooding in one of its holds, prompting a distress call from the ship's Captain Alexander Ivanov , a Russian call triggered panic among the authorities and as the news spread, the maritime and fishermen community feared the the 640 containers the ship carried (some of which had already fallen into the Arabian Sea due to the listing), 12 were loaded with calcium carbide, a hazardous chemical known for its violent reaction with water. In its tanks, the ship had 367.1 metric tonnes of very low sulphur fuel oil and 84.4 metric tonnes of oil/hazardous chemical spill would be disastrous for the environment and coastal communities apart from the expensive clean limited capacity to mount a coordinated emergency response and the absence of Tier 1 oil spill and salvage capacity in Indian ports such as Cochin, where the ship was headed, played on the minds of the authorities as the day wore on and the ship listed dangerously to Cochin Port Authority did not even have ocean going tugs or oil spill response units to assist the oil or chemical spill response equipment from abroad (nearest being Singapore and Bahrain) can take anywhere between 24 to72 hours, a delay that could prove the morning of Sunday, May 25, the ship capsized and sank in one of the biggest shipping disasters on the Indian the authorities scampered to get details of the ship to pin responsibility for the next course of action and check environmental hazards, they encountered, first-hand, what is regarded as one of the most opaque and under-regulated dimensions of global maritime commerce: the fragmented ownership, registration, management, and manning structures that define global shipping operations from being an anomaly or an isolated incident, the ship's convoluted configuration is emblematic of a deliberate design that prioritizes legal insulation over the 28-year-old container ship went down, it was flying the flag of Liberia - a classic Flag of Convenience ( FoC ) choice known for minimal regulatory intervention. A Flag of Convenience (FoC) or open registry is a business practice whereby a ship owner registers a vessel in the ship register of a country other than that of his own. The FoC regime does not levy any tax on ship owners but charge an annual amount based on the gross registered tonnage (GRT) of a ELSA-3's Liberian registry was only the beginning of a deeper maze. The vessel is owned by a German company, chartered on a slot-sharing basis by Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., the world's biggest container line headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and managed operationally by a firm based in Cyprus. The ship classification responsibilities were assigned to the French classification society Bureau Veritas (ship classification societies such as BV certifies a ship for its sea worthiness), while the ship was manned by a multinational crew comprising seafarers from Russia, Philippines, Ukraine, and other complex matrix of international ownership and management represents a microcosm of jurisdictional detachment that bedevils modern day implications of this web of opaque configuration are enormous. When the MSC ELSA-3 capsized and sank, it became virtually impossible to pin down a single point of liability or even a coherent chain of operational command. The flag state, Liberia, declined to participate in the investigation. The classification society that had certified the ship as seaworthy only months prior was not accountable for oversight failures. The German ship owner has maintained a legal distance through limited liability constructs. The manager in Cyprus held operational control, but not ultimate legal liability. MSC, the container shipping behemoth, claimed only a commercial interest through chartering of the fragmented control structure – typical of FoC regimes – obstructs clear liability and limits enforceability. The flag state's (Liberia) refusal, in writing, to participate in the post-incident investigation exemplifies the dilution of responsibility that FoC registration extreme fragmentation of responsibility is not accidental; it is engineered. It allows shipowners and charterers to dilute exposure to environmental damage claims, labour violations, tax liabilities, and safety lapses. In the case of MSC ELSA-3, this is further evidenced by the vessel's documented history of frequent name changes and ship registry shifts. From ' CSAV Barcelona ' to 'TMM Hidalgo' to ' Delmas Tourville ' to 'Jan Richter' to 'MSC ELSA-3', the ship had changed its identity at least ten times in less than two decades. Each change of name, flag, or manager coincided with opportunities to shed liability, evade scrutiny, or reposition under a more favourable regulatory practices, while not illegal, are at odds with the principles of transparency and responsibility embedded in the global maritime regulatory framework. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency that regulates global shipping, has long promoted uniform safety and environmental standards, but in reality, fragmented governance severely weakens container ship had a history of deficiencies, the most recent of which were detected at Tuticorin Port in a ship like MSC ELSA-3, legally registered in Liberia, owned by a German company, managed from Cyprus, classed with a French entity, operated from the Mediterranean, and manned by a multilingual crew, suffers a major casualty, coastal states like India are left to manage the colossal crisis involving a clean-up costing hundreds of crores with minimal issue is compounded by the lack of mandatory public disclosure on beneficial ownership, the actual role of commercial operators in daily navigation decisions, and the operational influence of ship managers. Even in cases where insurers such as the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs (third party liability underwriters) are involved, jurisdictional complications and multi-layered contracting structures delay compensation, investigation, and India is to protect its coast, trade routes, and maritime environment, it must challenge this structural opacity. Ships calling at Indian ports must be subjected to stricter requirements on transparency in ownership, crew composition, and management accountability. India must also push the IMO for reforms mandating full disclosure of beneficial ownership, enhanced flag state obligations, and clearer delineation of managerial versus operational control MSC ELSA-3 was not just a casualty of rough seas or human error. It was the predictable outcome of a system designed to divide responsibility to the point of disappearance. If left unchecked, this model will continue to shift the consequences of maritime failures onto states and communities least equipped to bear them. It is time for coastal nations to reclaim regulatory authority over ships that enter their waters, regardless of the paper trail they carry.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Clear up the paper boat trail: Lessons from Kerala coast shipwreck
Too many hands on deck On May 24, MSC ELSA-3 was 38 nautical miles off the Kochi coast when it developed a list, or tilt to one side, prompting a distress call. Among the ship's 640 containers, 12 were loaded with calcium carbide, a hazardous chemical known for its violent reaction with water. It had 367.1 MT of low- sulphur fuel oil and 84.4 MT of diesel in its tanks. A day later, the ship capsized and sank in one of the biggest shipping disasters on the Indian limited capacity to mount a coordinated emergency response and the absence of tier-1 oil spill and salvage capacity in Indian ports such as Kochi, where the ship was headed, played on the minds of authorities. An oil/hazardous chemical spill would be disastrous for the environment and coastal communities, apart from the expensive clean-up. Even the state- owned Cochin Port Authority did not have ocean-going tugs or oil spill response units to assist the ship. As authorities scrambled to get details of the ship for the next course of action, they encountered an opaque and under-regulated dimension of global maritime commerce: the fragmented ownership, registration, management and manning structures that define global shipping operations today. Far from being an anomaly or an isolated incident, the ship's convoluted configuration is emblematic of a deliberate design prioritising legal insulation over the ship went down, it was flying Liberia's flag - a classic Flag of Convenience (FoC) choice known for minimal regulatory intervention. An FoC, or open registry, is a business practice whereby a shipowner registers a vessel in the ship register of a country other than their own. The FoC regime does not levy any tax on shipowners but charges an annual amount based on the ship's gross registered tonnage (GRT).MSC ELSA-3 is owned by a German company, chartered on a slot-sharing basis by Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., headquartered in Geneva, and managed operationally by a firm based in Cyprus. The ship classification responsibilities were assigned to the French classification society Bureau Veritas, while a multinational crew manned the MSC ELSA-3 capsized and sank, it became impossible to pin down a single point of liability or even a coherent chain of operational command. Liberia declined to participate in the investigation. The classification society that had certified the ship as seaworthy was not accountable for oversight failures. The German shipowner has maintained a legal distance through limited liability constructs. The manager in Cyprus held operational control, but not ultimate legal liability. MSC, the container shipping behemoth, claimed only a commercial interest through the chartering of the fragmented control structure obstructs clear liability and limits enforceability. The flag state's refusal to participate in the post-incident investigation exemplifies the dilution of responsibility that FoC registration extreme fragmentation of responsibility is engineered. It allows shipowners and charterers to dilute exposure to environmental damage claims, labour violations, tax liabilities and safety the case of MSC ELSA-3, this is further evidenced by the vessel's documented history of frequent name changes and ship registry shifts. The ship had changed its identity at least 10 times in less than two decades - an opportunity to shed liability, evade scrutiny, or reposition under a more favourable regulatory practices, while not illegal, are at odds with the principles of transparency and responsibility embedded in the global maritime regulatory framework. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has promoted uniform safety and environmental standards, but fragmented governance severely weakens a ship like MSC ELSA-3 suffers a major casualty, coastal states like India are left to manage the colossal crisis, involving a clean-up costing hundreds of crores, with minimal issue is compounded by the lack of mandatory public disclosure on beneficial ownership, the actual role of commercial operators in daily navigation decisions, and the operational influence of ship managers. Even in cases where insurers such as the protection and indemnity (P&I) clubs (third-party liability underwriters for ships) are involved, jurisdictional complications and multilayered contracting structures delay compensation, investigation and India is to protect its coast, trade routes and maritime environment, it must challenge this structural opacity. Ships calling at Indian ports must be subjected to stricter requirements on transparency in ownership, crew composition and management accountability. India must also push the IMO for reforms mandating full disclosure of beneficial ownership, enhanced flag state obligations, and clearer delineation of managerial versus operational control left unchecked, this model will continue to shift the consequences of maritime failures onto states and communities least equipped to bear them. It is time for coastal nations to reclaim regulatory authority over ships that enter their waters, regardless of the paper trail they carry. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Worrying cracks hiding behind MG Motor's own 'house of Windsor' Is India ready to hit the aspirational 8% growth mark? INR1,300 crore loans for INR100? Stamp duty notice to ArcelorMittal, banks. Why failed small businessmen die by suicide when those behind big blow-ups bounce back? 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The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
V.O.C. port becomes India's first plastic-free port
V.O. Chidambaranar Port has been declared India's first 'plastic-free' port, according to a press release from V.O.C port authority. At the World Environment Day event held on Thursday on the port premises in Thoothukudi, Susanta Kumar Purohit, Chairperson, VOC Port Authority, and B. Kasiviswanathan, Chairperson, Cochin Port Authority, had jointly unveiled a plaque officially declaring V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority as a 'plastic-free zone'. The release said reaffirming its commitment to environmental sustainability, the port is upgrading its administration office to meet green certification standards. A 1 MW solar power project is in execution and a 2 MW battery storage system is under active consideration. Additionally, the tendering process has commenced for a 6 MW wind power project and green methanol bunkering facilities. Plans are also underway to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NTPC for the development of an additional 1 MW of green hydrogen plant. Collaborative studies on green corridors are progressing with the European Union and the ports of Singapore and Rotterdam, in coordination with Deendayal Port Authority. Speaking at the event, Mr. Kasiviswanathan emphasised the urgent need to adopt sustainability initiatives to restore and protect the environment. He commended the port for achieving India's first plastic-free port. He also distributed the prizes to the winners of various competitions organised by the port, as part of the 'World Environment Week'. In his address, the Chairperson of the V.O.C Port Authority highlighted the various green initiatives carried out by the port reflecting the port's strong commitment to protecting the environment and building a cleaner, greener future. The event was attended by Rajesh Soundararajan, Deputy Chairperson, P. Kavin Maharaj, Chief Vigilance Officer, and other senior port officials.
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- New Indian Express
All sea-going services suspended as heavy rain batters Kochi
KOCHI: Even as the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) denied reports of its sea-going cruise vessel 'Nefertiti' sailing dangerously in the rough sea the other day, the adverse weather has forced the authorities to indefinitely suspend all sea-going services. This after the Cochin Port Authority (CPT) denied permission for operators to sail beyond the Vypeen Ghat citing adverse weather conditions for the second straight day. Luxury vessels, including that of major private operators like 'Neo Classic Cruise & Tours Pvt Ltd' and 'Minar Cruise' didn't operate their sea-going services. 'Nefertiti' and other sea-going vessels of KSINC including 'Sooryamshu' and 'Sagararani' also didn't conduct services. 'We didn't operate the vessel on Monday despite having advance bookings on all days till May 31, following the issuance of adverse weather warning alerts. The services tomorrow (Tuesday) too remain cancelled,' a KSINC spokesperson told TNIE. Nefertiti is allowed to sail 12 nautical miles (nearly 22 kms) into sea only till May 31. The sea-going services won't be conducted during the monsoon season – June, July and August. Meanwhile, the KSINC denied reports that it operated the sea-going ship in violation of the restrictions placed by the port authorities on Sunday. 'Nefertiti is a cruise ship registered under the 'M S Class 6' (Merchant Shipping Act) and is capable and legally allowed to sail up to 20 nautical miles into the sea. However, it sails only up to 12 nautical miles to avoid taking the Immigration Clearance of the Cochin Port,' KSINC said in a statement, while denying that it operated dangerously on Sunday. 'On the said day, the ship sailed only after receiving the nod of the Cochin Port and travelled only two nautical miles from the LNG terminal and returned since the sea was rough. Also there was no situation that forced the ship to anchor in the sea,' it added. The private operators too are currently not taking advance bookings for their sea-going services, especially the popular sun-set tours in the evening.
