India strengthens maritime vigil amid West Asia conflict to ensure safety of seafarers and vessels

Mumbai, Mar 6 (PTI) The government on Friday said it has strengthened monitoring and preparedness measures in view of the evolving maritime situation in the West Asia region, with a focus on safeguarding Indian seafarers and vessels and maintaining continuity of maritime trade.

Earlier, a high-level inter-ministerial review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways (MoPS&W) to assess the evolving situation, an official statement said.

The Shipping Ministry continues to closely monitor developments in coordination with maritime stakeholders and various relevant ministries in the Union Government to safeguard Indian maritime interests, ensure the safety of seafarers and maintain the smooth functioning of maritime trade and logistics operations, it stated.

It also said that Indian-flagged ships continue to remain safe and no confirmed detention, boarding or casualty involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported.

It said that the MoPS&W is actively coordinating with the shipping industry, and a 24-hour helpline has been established at the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) to facilitate coordination and support for seafarers. A monitoring mechanism has also been established at the Ministry to continuously track developments.

All 35 Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf region (24 west of the Strait of Hormuz and 11 east of the Strait including the Gulf of Oman and adjoining areas) and three vessels in the Gulf of Aden are being continuously tracked through the LRIT (long- range identification and tracking) National Data Centre at hourly intervals, with regular shipping situation reports (SITREPs) being issued, the government said.

The review was held in continuation of the earlier review of the evolving maritime situation undertaken by the Minister for Ports, shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, it stated.

The Friday meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministries of External Affairs and of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) along with stakeholders from the shipping industry and various trade organisations, it stated.

The Ministry apprised stakeholders of the steps being taken by the Union Government, particularly by MoPSW, following the evolving situation in the Middle East.

An advisory outlining precautionary measures to safeguard Indian seafarers, Indian-flagged vessels and maritime trade operations has been issued through a DGS on February 2028, directing all Indian-flagged vessels and Indian seafarers to adopt enhanced security measures and strictly comply with reporting protocols, it said.

Further, a crew safety advisory through a DGS circular of February 28 has also issued urgent instructions to Indian seafarers and shipping stakeholders, including registration with the Embassy of India, Tehran and submission of crew details to the Directorate.

The Ministry is closely monitoring the situation through the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), in coordination with major Indian ports, maritime authorities and other relevant agencies.

Enhanced monitoring and reporting mechanisms have been activated for Indian-flagged vessels as well as foreign-flagged vessels carrying Indian seafarers to ensure continuous situational awareness and operational preparedness, the official statement said.

Besides, shipping companies, vessel operators and Recruitment and Placement Service Licensees (RPSLs) have been advised to exercise caution in crew deployment in sensitive regions, undertake voyage-specific risk assessments and maintain regular communication with seafarers and their families.

Dedicated coordination mechanisms have also been put in place to facilitate timely assistance to Indian seafarers, as required.

The Ministry said it also reviewed the status of vessels and cargo bound for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and West Asian destinations.

Overall port operations across India remain stable. Ports have been directed to extend all necessary assistance to minimise hardships faced by exporters and ensure continuity of EXIM trade, it stated.

Major ports have implemented operational measures including continuous monitoring of vessel movements in coordination with shipping lines and vessel agents, real-time assessment of developments in the region and regular reporting of vessel and cargo status.

Additional storage space has been arranged wherever required, while refrigerated and perishable cargo consignments are being closely monitored to ensure priority handling where necessary, it stated. PTI IAS MR