Lakshadweep to Mangalore ship services in danger of being shut down

Lakshadweep to Mangalore ship services in danger of being shut down

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, November 10, 2011 : Ship services between Lakshadweep and Mangalore are in danger of being shut down because of the accumulation of sand at the Mangalore Old Port estuary. To make things worse, dredging work at the spot is still awaiting government approval.

Although Lakshadweep prefers Mangalore to Kochi, the ship services from Lakshadweep to Mangalore are in danger of being shut down after concerned officials have expressed their fear of navigating safely through the Old Mangalore Port estuary. The season’s first passenger ship left the port on Nov 1 with 90 passengers, but the authorities are not very comfortable about their second voyage. 

The Lakshadweep to Mangalore ship service connects six islands to Mangalore. Since dredging has not yet been done at the estuary a lot of sand and mud has accumulated in the area, making it unsafe. The delay in dredging work will cause loss of revenue to the port. Since the path is unsafe, the administration of Lakshadweep might shut down ship service to Mangalore’s ports.

The ship officials say that they find it difficult to enter the old port because of excess mud and sand accumulated at the estuary, the meeting point of Gurpura River with the Arabian Sea. Ships require a water depth of at least 11 – 13ft in order to navigate safely, and if the water level is insufficient, the vessels will get damaged. The only other option is to wait till high tide, but this is a waste of time.

The delay in dredging work at the estuary is having an adverse effect on Lakshadweep, which is just 365kms from Mangalore. The people of Lakshadweep can easily travel to Mangalore; moreover, they can obtain clothes, gold, and other goods in Mangalore at cheaper rates. The people of Lakshadweep are also dependent on Mangalore for services such as education, health care, and business. Besides, Mangaloreans like spending their vacation on Lakshadweep because the sea route between Mangalore and Lakshadweep is beautiful.

Lakshadweep is heavily dependent on tourism because it cannot have any industries. Their main source of income is from tourist activities. If the ship services are shut down, the islands tourist revenue will suffer and the revenue of the Mangalore Old Port will also suffer.

Port Conservator Madusudhan told reporters that a proposal for a dredging project worth Rs. 4.6 crore has been submitted to the government and that they are just waiting for the government’s approval to start calling tenders. Since the Old Port is a natural port, sand naturally gets accumulated, he added. 
 

He also voiced his opinion that cruise ships can pass through the estuary more easily than cargo ships. He explained that cruise ships require a depth of only 10ft while cargo ships require at a depth of at least 13 – 14ft.