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The government will constitute the Bureau of Port Security, a statutory body for the security of vessels and port facilities, which will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, officials said on Friday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a meeting for the constitution of a dedicated body for ports and vessel security on Friday, which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said. Modelled on the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) will be headed by a director general and will function under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, it said. The BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities, the statement said. The BoPS shall be headed by an IPS officer (Pay Level-15). .
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the second Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) ports conclave in Visakhapatnam on July 14. The two-day event, to be held until July 15, aims to enhance regional maritime cooperation under the BIMSTEC framework, said an official press release. "BIMSTEC enhances regional unity through maritime cooperation and trade connectivity, said T Venu Gopal, secretary, Visakhapatnam Port Authority. During his visit, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways is also expected to inaugurate completed development projects and lay foundation stones for upcoming port infrastructure. Themed Navigating the Future: Blue Economy, Innovation & Sustainable Partnerships', the conclave will bring together ministerial delegations, port authorities, maritime experts, and business leaders from BIMSTEC member countries. Delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand have
Major ports have achieved a draft of 14 metres, while ports like Kamarajar, Paradip and Deendayal are progressing towards 18-metre draft to accommodate large shipping vessels due to policy initiative taken by the government to make India a regional transshipment powerhouse, Shipping Secretary T K Ramachandran said on Sunday. Transshipment has historically remained a missed opportunity for Indian ports, with 75 per cent of India's transshipment cargo routed through foreign hubs like Colombo, Singapore and Port Klang. "Major Ports have achieved a draft of 14 metres, while ports like Kamarajar, Paradip and Deendayal are progressing toward 18-metre draft to accommodate Panamax and cape-size vessels. "The upcoming Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra is being developed as a world -class mega port with a natural draft of 20 metres and a planned container handling capacity of 23 million TEUs, placing it among the top 10 global container ports upon completion," Ramachandran told PTI. A draft refe
Indonesian authorities intensified on Friday a search operation for 30 people missing after a ferry sank near the tourist island of Bali. The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving Ketapang port in East Java late Wednesday for a trip of about 5 kilometres to Bali's Gilimanuk port. The search and rescue operation was halted Thursday evening due to visibility problems and resumed on Friday morning with more than 160 rescuers including police and soldiers, said Ribut Eko Suyatno, the deputy chief of operations at the National Search and Rescue Agency. Three helicopters and a thermal drone were deployed to conduct an aerial search over the waters of the Bali Strait, while about 20 vessels were mobilised for the sea search, Suyatno said. As weather forecasts predict high waves and rough waters around the Bali Strait on Friday, he said at least three navy ships to being deployed to replace small boats. Videos and photos released by the agency showed rescuers lookin