Here is your free sample essay on Shipping

Shipping plays an important role in India with a vast coastline of about 7,516 km and over 2 million sq km of Exclusive Economic Zone.

The country has the largest merchant shipping fleet among developing countries and ranks 17th in the world in shipping tonnage. As on 31 March 2000, the net operative tonnage consisted of 515 ships.

There were 102 shipping companies in the country in operation as on 1 January, 2000 including the Shipping Corporation of India, a public sector undertaking and ten other Government agencies. Of these, 65 are engaged exclusively in coastal trade, 26 in overseas trade, and 11 in both coastal and overseas trade.

Shipping Corporation of India which is the biggest shipping line of the country had a merchant fleet of 112 vessels of 29.49 lakh GRT as on 1 March, 2000 and operated on almost all maritime routes.

Its tonnage accounts for about 43 per cent of the total Indian tonnage. Major private sector shipping companies which own two lakh or more GRT are: (i) Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited (8.49 lakh GRT), (ii) Essar Shipping Company Limited (5.61 lakh GRT) and (iii) Chowgule Steamship Limited (2.29 lakh GRT).

Shipping Corporation of India Limited

(SCI) is a Government owned Public Sector Company. It was formed on October 2, 1961. The diversified fleet of SCI includes Bulk Carriers, Crude and Product Tankers, General Cargo Vessels, Cellular Container Vessels, Offshore Supply Vessels, Ammonia/ LPG Carriers, Phosphoric Acid/Chemical Carriers, Passenger-cum-Cargo Vessels and Timber Carriers.

The SCI also mans and manages 26 ships on behalf of Government organizations/departments.

Coastal Shipping

Coastal Shipping is an energy efficient, environment friendly and economical mode of transport in the inland transport network and a crucial component for development of domestic industry and trade.

India has 7,516.6 km long coastline studded with 11 major and 139 minor and intermediary ports providing congenial and favourable conditions for the development of domestic transport infrastructure.

The coastal fleet in the country consists of274 ships.

1. The Lai Bahadur Shastri College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research, Mumbai attracts a large number of students in marine education and is perhaps the largest in terms of student’s population among the marine institutions of the world.

2. Marine Engineering and Research Institute (MERI), Kolkata conducts a four- year degree course in Marine Engineering.

3. MERI, Mumbai conducts six months course for Mechanical Engineering graduates.

4. Shore-based academy, Training Ship Chanakya.

Ports

There are 12 major ports in the country apart from 139 minor worldng ports along the coastline of about 5,600 km.

Major Ports

Major ports are the direct responsibility of the Central Government. Kandla, Mumbai, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin and Jawaharlal Nehru Port are the major ports of the West Coast. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port is equipped with modern facilities having mechanized container berths for handling dry bulk cargo and service berth, etc.

On die East Coast, Tuticorin, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata- Haldia are the major ports. One more major port at Ennore near Chennai is being developed at a cost of Rs. 953 crore.

This port is managed by Ennore Port Limited among the major ports; Kandla Port Trust handled maximum traffic, with 40.6 MT during 1998-99, out of a total of 251 MT for all major ports.

Mumbai handles a basic 12 per cent of the total traffic of the ports, bulk of which consists of petroleum products and dry cargo. A free trade zone set up here handles all types of traffic. Facilities for export of Kundremukh iron ore were specially developed at New Mangalore. Cochin is a natural harbour. Tuticorin Port handles mainly coal traffic.

Chennai is one of the oldest ports in the east coast. The traffic handled at this port consists mainly of crude oils and iron ore. Vishakhapatnam is the ‘deepest port’ where an outer harbour has been developed for exporting iron ore and a berth has been constructed for crude oil and also petroleum products as well as a multi-purpose general cargo berth.

Paradip handles iron ore and some quantities of coal and dry cargo. Kolkata is a riverine port handling diversified commodities. A new mechanized dock system at

Haldia with provision for deep draft vessels supplements the facilities available at Kolkata. Haldia has fully equipped coal handling, oil and containerized berths.All the major ports generated operating surpluses and handled a total cargo traffic of 251 million tonnes during 1998-99.

The minor/intermediate ports are in the Concurrent List of the subjects in the Constitution of India. State Governments are responsible for the management and the development of these ports. However, funds for the development of Andaman and Nicobar islands, Lakshadweep etc are provided by the Central Government.