Page 171 - Technology Roadmap Transportation

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP: TRANSPORTATION

the proportion of traffic at major ports falling handling. Development of such transhipment
from 90% in 1995 to 60% during the 12 five hub ports on Indian coast would lead to
th
year plan. Conversely, non-major ports have reduction of our dependence on foreign
increased their proportion of traffic from ports for transporting Indian containers.
10% to 40% during the same period.
(g) For robust growth of Indian port
(d) The last decade’s significant growth in infrastructure, faster regulatory clearances
port traffic and cargo was on account of and appropriate tariff fixing are important
a boost in domestic consumption (higher issues.
imports) and impetus to the manufacturing
sector (setting up of SEZs, incentives, etc. to 2.2.5 Human Resource
promote exports). (a) Seafarers are the most important link in the
logistic chain of the shipping industry. They
(e) When major ports are conveying sluggish play the most crucial role in this industry
signals, non-major ports in the country because it is they who move the ship and
are doing relatively better. Their better its cargo to various destinations around the
performance is driven by their more world, Philippine is the biggest supplier of
diversified cargo streams, higher capacity manpower to the world merchant fleet as
utilisation, and presence of captive cargo shown in Fig 2.4 below.
streams, superior operating efficiency
and infrastructure, enabling diversion
of cargo from congested major Philippines 211,000
ports. This trend of non-major ports China 165,000
outpacing major ports in terms
of cargo growth is expected to India 120,000
continue in the Indian port sector in
the near future. Ukraine 77,000
Russia 65,000
(f) Development of transhipment hub
ports for handling of container traffic Poland 40,000
– both on the east and west coasts
of India – is the need of the hour. FIG 2.4: THE SHARE OF MAJOR MANPOWER SUPPLYING
In the container trade, Indian ports NATIONS (AUGUST 2013)[ 6]
handled 7.96 million TEUs (Twenty 40400 2000
82300
Foot Equivalent Unit) in the year 2014-15 (b) The shipping companies place their most
(Indian Ports Association), where TEU is the valuable assets – the ships and its cargo
46600
standard unit for describing the standard worth millions of dollars – into the tender 2005
72100
intermodal container dimensions. care of the seafarers. The enormity of the
responsibility placed onto handful of seafarers YEAR
53200
Out of the above, a good lot of containers (approximately 20) sailing at the high seas 2010
75800
are transhipped to some major transhipment can easily be understood. The knowledge and
hubs like Singapore, Colombo and Dubai. skill sets required for a good seafarer are,
61000
The reason such transhipment takes place is therefore, exclusive. 2014
lack of adequate port infrastructure in our 76200
country. Indian ports cannot accommodate (c) Indian officers and ratings have served the Officers
large sized vessels, which are preferred on world maritime profession diligently and Ratings
long haul trades. While the world has moved India is proud to have emerged as a major
onto vessels of up to 19224 TEUs carrying supplier of seafarers to the world merchant
capacity, the largest vessel that Indian ports shipping. Indian officers and ratings are known
can handle is in the range of 6500 TEUs. to be amongst the best in the world and
Large vessels thus skip Indian ports and from a share of around 2% in the year 2000,
tranship Indian containers at international presently Indian seafarers constitute about
transhipment hubs. The containers are 11% of total worldwide seafarers. This growth
then sent to India through feeder services has been possible because of the maritime
linked to the hubs, which lead to increase education and training infrastructure of our
in overall cost and time due to additional country.

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