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Attention is invited to the Govt. of India,
Ministry of Surface Transport (Ports Wing), order No. PQ-24021/61/96-PG
dated 12th February, 1997,vide which, a committee comprising
of Nautical Adviser to the Govt. of India as a Member Convener,
Chief Hydrographer to the Govt. of India and Director General
(Lighthouses & Lightships) as Members, has been constituted
for the purpose of approval of Navigational Safety at new
ports in private sector before commissioning of such ports
to receive ships.
2. The Govt. of India, vide aforesaid order,
has prescribed an application form in which requisite information
with regard to Navigational Safety, such as development
and implementation of Quality Management System, provision
for compulsory pilotage, appointment of conservators, list
of cargoes to be handled, the maximum size of vessels to
be berthed, details about prevailing weather conditions,
various navigational aids for approaches to ports, contingency
planning arrangements, facilities for maintenance of channels
etc, are required to be furnished for consideration of approval
by the committee.
3. It has come to the Notice of the committee
that some new ports have been operating without due approval
of the committee. It has also come to the notice of the
committee that some of the terminals have been deviating
from their undertakings given to the committee based on
which approvals were granted. It is to be understood that
the approval to such ports has been granted entirely on
the basis of their submission to the NSPC and such approval
does not stand valid if the port is found to be deviating
from any of its undertaking without prior approval of this
NS PC .
4. In accordance with the said order of
the Govt. of India, if the committee comes to the conclusion
that a particular port facility is unsafe, the approval
granted to the port would be withdrawn and the port may
be declared unsafe through world wide Notices to the Mariners
if sufficient action is not being taken by port authorities
to adhere to safety measure prescribed by NSPC.
5. For the purpose of safe operation of
ships, prevention of pollution to environment and safety
of terminal, all state maritime boards while excising their
rights of conservancy of ports, are requested to give this
notice a wide publicity and initiate urgent steps as necessary
so that ports falling under their jurisdiction are adhering
to the norms set by this committee.
6. Considering the fact that the navigational
safety of the port is of paramount importance for all port
users such as shipowners/managesr/operators, shippers, insurers,
freight forwarders etc, it is essential that such interests
must ensure that the port is approved and compliant with
the standards laid down by the NSPC.
This issues with the approval of Nautical
Adviser to the Govt. of India.
Sd/-
(Capt. S.K.Mishra)
Nautical Surveyor |
