Latest news with #CochinPortAuthority
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
A historic boat sold as scrap being restored in Kochi
Seethi Sajar, 52, a scrap dealer from Thoppumpady, was in for a surprise when he turned up at the Cochin Port Trust, since then renamed as Cochin Port Authority (CoPA), to take delivery of a chunk of scrap he bought in an auction in 2010. When he spotted an archaic wooden boat, valued at around ₹2 lakh, among the materials, he thought little of it. Only when a senior port officer told him that it was the boat used by the late British harbour engineer Sir Robert Charles Bristow who founded the Willingdon Island did he realise its historical significance. 'It was thrilling to even think that I was in possession of the boat used by a historical figure like Bristow Sayippu (foreigner). Since my yard at Karuvelippady didn't have the facilities to restore the boat at that time, I kept it fully wrapped protecting it from rain, sun, and dust,' said Mr. Sajar, who has been in the scrap business and ship dismantling business for the last 35 years. He started the restoration of the boat, which is fully made in teak, three months ago. He was fortunate to find two veteran boat maintenance workers with experience of having handled similar traditional boats in wood in Ponjikkara in Ernakulam district. They have been working on the boat since then. Historic significance 'We have been careful not to tinker with its original structure and design considering its historic significance. The focus is more on restoring it to its old glory rather than renovating. Missing wooden planks are being replaced, some nails are being tightened, steering wheel that has fallen off has been put back, and the engine cover is being replaced. The engine is still in good condition and it will be given a fresh coat of polish,' said Mr. Sajar who claims to have spend around ₹10 lakh for restoration so far. He remains hopeful of wrapping up the works by August in time for Onam. The boat will be then showcased for the public. Mr. Sajar has bought a 3 acre plot at Karuvelippady where he plans to construct a fibre glass enclosure for displaying the boat. Bony Thomas, a journalist, cartoonist and historian, slammed the sale of such a historical object as mere scrap. Bristow is credited with putting Kochi on the global map, found India's biggest man-made island, modernised the Kochi port and built bridges for improved connectivity. 'A scrap dealer showed better sense than the port authorities. Here was a boat, Bristow had used extensively since his arrival in 1920. The boat has been mentioned at three places in his renowned book Cochin Saga. To sell it as mere scrap is height of ignorance,' said Mr. Thomas.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- 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
17-06-2025
- 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
16-06-2025
- 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.
