In order to broaden the purview of maritime policy making and bring clarity in functioning of the departments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a proposed amendment in the name of the Ministry of Shipping to Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Stating that proposed change in the name would bring clarity in policy making and implementation, Modi hinted at strengthening water resources-based economy. “In developed economies, it is the job of Shipping Ministry to look after ports, shipping and waterways. In India also Ministry of Shipping only works for these sectors. So changing the name will bring more clarity for work," the Prime Minister stated.

Fuelling blue economy

In order to strengthen India's blue economy, Centre is looking to capitalise the nation’s 21,000-kilometer of coastline. “It is only after 2014, we adopted a holistic approach for development of India’s maritime sector. We want India's maritime sector to become an important component of India's mission for Atmanirbhar Bharat ,” the Prime Minister said in a video address after launching a ro-pax ferry service connecting Hazira in Surat to Ghogha-Bhavnagar in Saurashtra.

For cost-effective logistics across the country, Modi stated that the Centre is also working to develop a multi-modal logistics structure that will remove silos between road, rail, air and shipping and bring in better coordination for inter-connectivity.

Modi also stated that under the PM Matysa Sampada Yojana (scheme for fisheries development), the government will spend approx ₹20,000 crore in the coming years for fisheries business development, so as to fuel India's blue economy.

Connecting Surat and Saurashtra

On Surat’s ro-pax ferry service, Modi underlined the economic importance of the project for the farmers and animal breeders of Saurashtra, who will get access to a large market of Surat and South Gujarat.

“Traveling from Surat to Saurashtra takes about 10-12 hours through road journey. Which is not feasible for perishable commodities like vegetables, fruits and dairy products. But after this Ro-pax ferry service, the duration of travel between Bhavnagar and Surat will be reduced to just four hours, which will open new market for farmers in Saurashtra,” Modi said.

The road distance of 370 km between the two locations will now be reduced to just 90 km through sea route.

The ro-pax ferry between Ghogha and Hazira will make three trips in a day.

At this rate, it is projected to carry about 5 lakh passengers, 80,000 passenger vehicles (cars), 50,000 two-wheelers and 30,000 trucks in a year. This will potentially save about 9,000 litres of fuel every day, which will also reduce the carbon footprint. The estimates show that every three trips in a day could potentially save about 24 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.

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