Bhavnagar/Ahmedabad | News Tanks Bureau
Despite a clear directive from the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), under Order No. 6/2023, which restricts the operation of vessels older than 20 years in Indian ports, aged vessels continue to gain access to Gujarat’s ports. The latest incident involves the Bhavnagar Port, where the 26-year-old bulk carrier MV CHAMP STAR, built in 1999, was recently permitted to discharge approximately 60,000 metric tonnes of cargo.
This development raises several serious questions-
1. Is Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) defying DG Shipping’s directive?
Order No. 6/2023 clearly prohibits the operation of vessels older than 20 years in Indian ports. So how was CHAMP STAR, a 26-year-old vessel, granted access? Under what conditions was this exception allowed?
2. Was this vessel granted exemption under any special policy or clause?
If so, why is such a policy not made public? Does this lack of transparency not pose a threat to maritime safety?
3. Was any Port State Control (PSC) inspection carried out on MV CHAMP STAR?
The vessel was inspected in February 2025 at Yancheng and Yingkou ports in China.
On 17 February, a preliminary inspection recorded 8 deficiencies.
Despite this, no detentions were issued during follow-up inspections at two other ports on 18 February.
This indicates that while the vessel was deemed operational, its technical condition was not fully satisfactory.
4. Additional findings from Equasis database:
Equasis inspection records also raise doubts about the vessel’s reliability:
5.26% of inspections over the last 36 months resulted in detentions.
The vessel is listed under the Grey List by Paris MOU, indicating below-average performance.
The US Coast Guard has flagged it under the “Targeted Flag” category, which denotes high-risk vessels.
5. Does GMB ensure all safety equipment is fully functional on old vessels?
Especially in the case of vessels older than two decades, is there a mechanism for special technical audits to verify the working condition of lifeboats, fire systems, and navigation equipment?
6. Has GMB learned anything from the Kandla Port blast?
On 6 July 2025, a massive explosion occurred aboard MT FULDA, a 26-year-old Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker at Kandla Port, severely damaging the vessel’s forward section.
How far has the investigation progressed?
Have GMB and DG Shipping issued any new safety guidelines since the incident?
7. Is there any system of regular monitoring of old ships at sensitive ports like Bhavnagar?
If such a procedure exists, how was CHAMP STAR allowed entry despite its age and inspection history?
8. Can GMB guarantee that no external influence, political pressure, or financial interests play a role in allowing unsafe vessels into Indian ports?
9. If an accident occurs due to such an unsafe vessel, will GMB take ethical and legal responsibility for it?
10. Will GMB commit to fully implementing DG Shipping’s policy on banning old vessels and establish a robust, transparent compliance mechanism?
All these concerns were formally communicated to the relevant authorities via email and WhatsApp, but no response has been received to date.
The deficiencies recorded in China, the poor inspection record on Equasis, and the Kandla Port blast all indicate an urgent need for India to revisit and strengthen its maritime safety framework.
Maritime safety cannot be limited to paper policies it is a matter of thousands of lives and critical national assets.
Is GMB and DG Shipping ready to be accountable?
