US awards 26 Indian shipping firms taking part in high sea rescue
Mumbai, Aug 27: The United States Consulate in Mumbai on Monday awarded 26 Indian shipping companies which participated in the US Coast Guard (USCG)'s Automated Mutual-assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) programmes.
The AMVER in a worldwide initiative that ensures quick and efficient rescue of disabled or distressed ships at sea, saving the lives of sailors and ensuring continuity of shipping operations.
US Consul-General in Mumbai Edgard Kagan said that AMVER, now in its Diamond Jubilee year, is an excellent example of mutual assistance and partnership.
"These awards are an opportunity to recognize the Indian merchant mariners and their efforts to facilitate world trade while preserving safety at sea," Kagan said.
Presenting the awards jointly with Kagan, India's Director-General of Shipping Malini V. Shankar said that AMVER is a unique and voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide to arrange for assistance to ships and sailors in distress at sea.
"Instead of relying only on specialized rescue operations, this initiative provides an excellent opportunity for mutual cooperation on the seas. AMVER is an enduring example of international public-private partnership," Shankar added.
Established in 1958 and managed by the USCG, AMVER is a search-and-rescue (SAR) programme in which merchant ships sailing the high seas make themselves available for maritime emergency response on a voluntary basis without regard to nationality but with the main objective that no call for help should go unresponded.
Over 140 nations are participating in AMVER, providing a global safety net for mariners, comprising more than 7,850 ships available to carry out SAR services worldwide.
In 2017, AMVER mobilized 103 ships for providing such assistance to distressed ships and helped save 153 lives of mariners.
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Jammu-Srinagar NH shut for second day as road clearance operations continue in Ramban
Jammu (PTI): Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as the work to clear the fresh landslides is going on amid heavy rains in the Ramban district, officials said.
The strategic 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked by multiple landslides early Monday. Though it was reopened for a few hours on Tuesday morning, two major landslides forced its closure, they said.
According to a traffic update issued at 10 am, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) continues to remain blocked, with road clearance operations underway at Shalgarhi and Banihal.
“Road clearance is going on, but it will take some time. Moreover, there is continuous rainfall along the highway,” the advisory said.
A traffic police spokesperson said movement has been stopped in both directions — from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice versa — due to a heavy landslide between Digdol and Khooni Nallah on Tuesday. “The road is completely blocked,” he said.
Officials said more than 400 vehicles are stranded at various points along the highway.
Men and machinery have been pressed into service to clear the debris, but intermittent rains are disrupting the restoration efforts.
Authorities have advised commuters not to travel on NH-44 until the road is fully restored.
“People are advised not to pay heed to rumours and check the status of roads through the traffic police’s official social media handles and traffic control units,” the spokesperson added.
