Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 18: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways confirmed on Wednesday that all Indian seafarers in the Middle East are safe, with no incidents reported involving Indian-flagged vessels in the past 24 hours. Currently, 22 Indian-flagged ships carrying 611 Indian seafarers are operating in the western Persian Gulf region under continuous monitoring by the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies, and Indian missions.
LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi, which recently returned from the region, are unloading cargo as scheduled by oil handling companies. The DG Shipping control room continues round-the-clock operations, having managed 3,305 calls and 6,324 emails since activation, including 125 calls and 449 emails in the last 24 hours. So far, more than 472 Indian seafarers have been safely repatriated, including 25 in the past day.
India’s ports are operating smoothly with no congestion reported. State Maritime Boards, including Gujarat and Maharashtra, have confirmed normal operations. Ports are closely tracking vessel movements and cargo handling, with sufficient spare capacity available. Visakhapatnam Port Authority has added approximately 2,260 square metres of additional storage, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has reduced the number of stranded containers from about 1,000 to roughly 770.
Flight operations between India and the Middle East are gradually improving. In the UAE, around 70 flights operated on March 17, with about 75 expected today. Since March 5, over 50 flights have been operating daily. Services from Saudi Arabia and Oman to India continue, while Qatar’s airspace is partially open, accommodating five flights on Tuesday and flights to nine Indian destinations from Wednesday. Kuwait’s airspace remains closed since February 28, though special non-scheduled flights by Jazeera Airways are planned from Al Qaisumah Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The ministry emphasized ongoing monitoring of shipping movements, port operations, seafarer safety, and maritime trade to ensure continuity amid the evolving situation in West Asia.