Tag: India

The two countries have a history of border disputes This month, NPR is examining the many ways China is expanding its reach in the world - through investments, infrastructure, military power and more.As China flexes its economic and military muscle, it's bumping elbows with Asia's other big and fast-growing power: India.China's hunger for energy from the Middle East and resources from Africa brings it into the Indian Ocean. And some defense analysts in India are watching uneasily as China develops commercial ports in some of India's neighbor countries.To understand India's concerns about China, it helps to remember that the two countries have a history of border disputes, and that they fought a brief but ferocious war over territory in 1962.Indian Concerns Over 'String Of Pearls'Long-time members of India's military establishment spend a lot of time thinking about China's new military, and its strategic aims.Arun Kumar Singh, a retired Indian vice admiral, habitually refers to China's military as "he.""He wants to keep us in a state of imbalance, because he wants us to be boxed up in South Asia, though we are the second-largest and possibly the largest, or the fastest-growing economy in the world today," Singh says.As a navy man, ...

For developing shipping in Kerala A draft report on a strategy for developing coastal shipping in Kerala has suggested that the State government, through the Maritime State Development Council, appeal to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct banks to provide finance at concessional rates to coastal shipping companies for a limited period.The draft of the study, prepared by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Private Limited, said that shipping required heavy investments and opened up higher risks as a result of which banks were averse to financing shipping companies.The study highlighted that there had been a long-standing demand for a dedicated coastal shipping fund, arranging corpus for which was a big challenge.The State government should incorporate this in its agenda and try for financial assistance from the Union government.The study suggested the setting up of a State-level specialised financial institution on the lines of IL&FS or IDFC to finance maritime sector.The Union government had not conceded a demand to remove duty on bunker used by vessels on coastal service, the study said. It pointed out that Kerala had cut value added tax (VAT) rate from 12.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent for bunker supplied to foreign vessels at the liquid ...

Disturbance of eco systems because of the growing maritime traffic A group of Indian scientists may have found the solution to an issue of global concern: disturbance of eco systems because of the growing maritime traffic across the world.The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) had been perennially concerned over the transportation of marine species between different parts of the world because of discharge of ballast water from ocean-going ships.Over the years, it had been taking several measures to address the issue. But, so far, none of them had been totally effective. Incidences of invasion of alien species in coastal water due to ballast water discharge continue.In the new development that promises to be of far-reaching significance, the scientists have got a patent from the United States Patent Office for a treatment technology for the ballast water that is not only highly effective, but is also all more eco-friendly as it does not use any chemicals.A.C. Anil, Scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research's Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), who developed the technology in collaboration with his colleagues at the Pune-based National Chemical Laboratory and University of Bombay's Institute of Chemical Technology, said the technology is based on the ...

Eight Indian crew members released Indias largest shipowner has applauded the Indian Navys approach to combating piracy, following the return to Mumbai of eight Indian crew members from the released bulker.We are very grateful to them and wish that other navies would adopt the same tactics, he said. It is believed that the pirates kept the other seven crew members because they are Indian, as revenge or some such other, but there has been absolutely no official communication from the pirates that this is the case and that assertion thus remains nothing other than pure conjecture."

The joint war committee expanded large parts of northern Indian Ocean as a conflict zone Global insurer Lloyds of London has spurned Indias demand to reverse a recent labelling of almost all of the countrys west coast as prone to pirate attacks.In December, the joint war committee, a global body that assesses marine insurance risks, expanded large parts of northern Indian Ocean as a conflict zonethe eastern border of which extends to the west coast of Indiaciting increased instances of sea hijacking in the region.This has raised insurance costs of cargo reaching or leaving Indias western ports.The committee comprises underwriters from the Lloyds Market Association (LMA) and the International Underwriting Association (IUA).It is generally understood that piracy (in the region) remains a threatinsurers therefore have to act accordingly, Neil Roberts, senior executiveunderwriting, Lloyds Market Association, said in an emailed reply.India has been lobbying Lloyds and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global maritime regulator, to overturn the expansion of the areas considered prone to pirate attacks, claiming the decision has triggered a 300% jump in ship insurance costs. This, in turn, has raised transaction costs of commodities shipped into India.Indias government and shipping companies informed the joint war committee in ...

It contains toxic materials and poisonous residues Toxic-laden and decommissioned Korean-built ship Gulf Safwa was impounded by the Guajarat Maritime Board on Thursday near Bhavnager while sneakily heading to the Alang ship-breaking yard in India.An official of the Pollution Control Board for Gujarat told the Khaleej Times that customers officers would conduct an examination of the 14,584-tonne bulk carrier, as well as an inspection by Delhi bosses.They confirmed that the Gulf Safwa does contain toxic materials and poisonous residues, and can be housing asbestos, PCBs, toxic paints, fuel and chemical residues, etc. according to reports.The impounding of the vessel was in response of a letter to Ministries of Environment & Forests from the Toxic Watch Alliance last Wednesday alerting of a hazardous vessel in Indian waters. The vessel, however, in question of the letter is called the Gulf Jash.The Gujarat Maritime Board has said that they have not received any communication from the Jash. Officials are still not certain whether the Safwa could possibly be the ship mentioned in the letter.The seized Gulf Safwa is believed to have been purchased by the Alangs Tagif Ship Breaking Company. The ship breakers of Alang responded by saying that this is another false ...

Containers between India and the Middle East region Maersk Line announced a piracy risk surcharge on containers shipped between India and the Middle East region.Effective June 1, the surcharge is $70 per 40-foot equivalent unit.As a result of the increased piracy activity, and in light of our continuous efforts to prevent piracy attacks and to protect our crew and cargo in the intra-Gulf region, we will introduce an emergency risk surcharge to mitigate the expenses incurred on securing and maintaining reliable and safe services, the Danish carrier said in a trade notice Wednesday.The intra-Gulf region primarily includes ports in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.Source: Journal of Commerce

The ship contains many tonnes of hazardous asbestos, toxic paints and fuel residues After being banned in Bangladesh, a toxic-laden ship, Probo Koala, is headed towards Indian shores for dismantling, a global group of activists called 'NGO Shipbreaking Platform' has warned.The ship, a 1989-built oil carrier cargo vessel weighing 31,255 tonnes now named Gulf Jash, was banned from entering Bangladesh waters recently after environmentalists in neighbouring countries warned the government about it.The ship has been in the thick of controversy in Africa and Europe. Its previous owner, a company called Trafigura, tried to offload its on-board toxic material in Amsterdam. It was detected in time and when the authorities imposed heavy charges for proper disposal, the company decided to instead send the ship to Africa.After trying its luck in Nigeria, the company finally found a dealer in Ivory Coast to dump the chemicals off board. Hundreds of tonnes of toxic chemicals were poured into the country's largest city, Abidjan. NGO Shipbreaking Platform said the toxic dumps lead to the death of 16 people and thousands of people falling ill.The company had to reportedly settle cases out of court by paying out 30 million pounds to the victims and nearly 100 ...

In 2010, the economic cost of piracy estimated $7-12 billion In 2010, the economic cost of maritime piracy on the supply chain was estimated to be $7-12 billion, said the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) quoting the One Earth Foundation. Piracy is a concern to any industry having to navigate through the Gulf of Aden to deliver goods by water, said the ICC, a global representative body that speaks on behalf of enterprises from all sectors in every part of the world.For India, piracy is a serious issue as a large number of Indian seafarers work on board foreign ships that pass through the Somalia coast every day. In January, India voiced its concern on the increasing piracy at the United Nations, and proposed a five-point plan, including tracking the trail of ransom money, to curb piracy.The Union Minister of Shipping, Mr G.K. Vasan, at the Maritime Summit 2011 at Oslo on Tuesday too highlighted India's concerns about increasing incidents of piracy and the need for concerted unified action under the UN. Ministers from 10 other countries also participated in the Summit.Increasing attacksThe past year has witnessed an escalation in both violence and the number of attacks on ships and ...

Crusial decision as piracy incidents increase The Indian Government has decided to allow deployment of armed guards preferably retired naval officers on board Indian cargo vessels sailing on the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean, a top government official told Business Line.Detailed guidelines on the number of guards that each vessel can have will be issued shortly, he said. In the wake of rising incidents of piracy on the high seas, Indian shipping lines have been seeking government permission to deploy armed guards on board their ships.The plan is to give preference to retired naval officers, said the official who has just returned from the meeting of the Intentional Maritime Organisation (IMO) which discussed the guidelines on allowing armed guard on board the merchant ships. The Maritime Safety Committee of IMO has endorsed the use of armed guards.Draft guidelinesIn India, the proposal under consideration is to seek retired navy officers from the pool maintained by the Directorate of Resettlement under the Ministry of Defence. Each vessel can have a group of five armed personnel one officer and four others. The shipping companies have to bear the cost of hiring the guards.A draft guidelines prepared by the director general of shipping ...