Residents Struggle with Ship Delays and Shortages; Concerns Mount Over Ship Services Between Car Nicobar and Port Blair

TMI Correspondent

Port Blair, May 08: The ship services are the lifeline of the A&N Islands for the transportation of goods and services to various parts of these islands. However, due to delays or the lack of a schedule to the southern group of islands, there is a significant impact on the availability of essential items and necessary travel during emergencies.

Some citizens of Car Nicobar Islands have also submitted grievances on the LG's portal regarding ship services. However, after one or two schedules, the service reverts back to its previous condition. "Having to write on the LG's portal each time for each schedule is both frustrating and embarrassing," said a citizen of Car Nicobar on the condition of anonymity.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, the Member of Parliament mentioned that a large number of people, including residents of Car Nicobar Islands and government servants posted there, are facing severe hardships due to the unavailability of ships and the significant gaps between their schedules for travel between Car Nicobar and Port Blair.

He added that as the summer vacation has commenced, there has been a surge in the number of people wishing to travel between Car Nicobar and Port Blair. However, the current ship schedule poses significant challenges for the residents. The MP stated that after May 9th, the next schedule is on May 23rd, reaching Car Nicobar on May 25th. This significant gap between sailings is causing immense inconvenience and distress to the residents. Due to such delays in ship schedules and unavailability of ships, residents of Car Nicobar are also facing difficulty in obtaining vegetables and other essential commodities on time.

Similarly, the ANTCC Campaign Committee Chairman, Mr. TSG Bhasker, has also expressed concern over the lack of ships plying between Port Blair City and Car Nicobar Island. In a letter addressed to the Director of Shipping Services recently, he stated that having only 2 sailings during the peak summer vacation time is causing a lot of hardships for the traveling public and also for government servants who need to travel for holidays from Car Nicobar to Port Blair. Additionally, there is heavy demand for tickets due to the shortage of ships.

It has been observed time and again that patients have to wait for several days to get helicopter tickets, and sometimes this results in the fatality of patients. In such cases, the ship is the only way that patients can be transported, and if regular ship services are not being provided, it reflects a deficiency in the service of the Department, which needs to be addressed immediately.

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