New port of call

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Monday , May 05, 2008 at 2011 hrs In a way, it is reassuring that India’s maritime potential is finally being discussed. As pointed out in my earlier article (‘Southern sea loop comfort’, May 2), sea cargo is an excellent low-cost solution to India’s overland transport jumble, assuming the Sethu Samundram project goes ahead. Varied voices were heard at a recent Ficci conference on maritime issues in Mumbai.

Politicians, it seems, are still making up their minds on whether development is good for them or not, never mind the nation. However, since they have to carry the electorate with them, they spy employment generation possibilities for locals in port projects, and with luck, this could trump other considerations. Bureaucrats, on the other hand, claim to be facing the brunt of resistance to development. Everyone else, however, sees them as the main resistance to development. It is time that port development was given over to those with the money and technology to do it. Social and environmental concerns will be addressed better that way.

Shipyards are important. Some 84% of shipyard activity in China, which has over 3,000 ports, is for coastal and inland shipping. India must replicate this model. Goa is an example where the inland shipping sector emerged without any government interference, and there are more small shipyards in Goa than anywhere else in India now. Yes, Gujarat is set to overtake Goa. Shipbuilding and repair are labour-intensive industries, and lack of infrastructure is holding them back. With more ports, we need more shipyards.

Shortage of trained manpower is a worldwide shipping constraint. But India’s coastal regions are not exactly underpopulated, and minimal training can relieve the immediate manpower crunch. Chinese merchant ships have taken over the world with often just one English speaking person on board. Moreover, most of our new seafarers will work in the near waters along the coast, even if some go forth and become the world’s best international seafarers. My seafaring experience has proved invaluable to me in multiple ways, and thousands of others should have such career opportunities. The shipping industry, moreover, should train its own people, just as the software industry does.