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Bringing the mariner family together

IN AN effort to bring the world mariner community together, a Kochi based e-business group _ Team e-Biz _ has launched an interactive site for the mariners.

The site, shipmatesworld.com , developed for ex-mariners has the database of mariners from across the world, stating their current ship, contact details, and so on. The mariners can register and access the site from anywhere in the world and can utilise all the facilities provided after registering the site. They can also search for their shipmates whom they have lost touch with.

There is an option in the site wherein shipping companies can list their job openings. The mariners looking for a suitable opening can view them and apply online. The discussion forum in the site allows mariners to exchange their views and ideas with fel low mariners.

In the buy`n'sell section, mariners can display items from their collection which they would like to sell or buy from the articles listed by other mariners. Also featured in the site is the mariner family of the week. Registered users can login in to vie w their personalised pages by entering their user name and password.

Dhubri-Guwahati waterway upgrade

THE Centre has approved the Assam Government's proposal for providing 24-hour navigational facilities on the Dhubri-Guwahati stretch of the River Brahmaputra, declared National Waterway No. 2 by the Union Government some years ago. The Ministry of Surfac e Transport has released Rs. 4.63 crores for providing the facilities.

At the initiative of the Chief Minister, Mr. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, one hydraulic surface dredger and one survey vessel are being procured at a cost of Rs. 5.23 crores and Rs. 1.54 crores respectively. The acquisition of more survey vessels and dredgers and the introduction of facilities for 24-hour navigation in the upper reaches of the water are also being considered, according to official sources.

Reaching out via ropeways

IN WHAT is being perceived as a revolution in communication, several villages in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, such as Ngunraw, Rangjadong and Kensiphlang, which were accessible only by walk till recently, have now been connected by the ropeway.

More important, the local people will form a society to oversee the operation of the ropeway. It might be noted that the local people came forward to donate lands for the construction of the relay points for the ropeway. The gesture has been highly appre ciated by the State government.

Commissioning the ropeway recently, the Meghalaya Minister for Border Areas, Mr. R. K. Tariang, announced the State government's resolve to establish communication with remote areas of the State as soon as possible. Mr. M. Danggo, Deputy Speaker of the M eghalaya Legislative Assembly, stressed the need for cooperation of the local people for making such projects a success.

Vizag port leading in cargo throughput in Q1

Vizag port is ahead of other ports in India in terms of cargo throughput handled for the first quarter this current fiscal.

Kandla port, which edged out Vizag port three years ago from the top slot and remained India's leading port in terms of throughput since then, was in the third slot, behind Chennai, by the end of June. According to figures released by Indian Ports Associ ation, Vizag port handled a throughput of 11.5 million tonnes in the first quarter, followed by Chennai port with 10.4 million tonnes and Kandla with 9.92 million tonnes.

According to port observers, Kandla port had to face a cut in oil throughput, which was the mainstay in its cargo box. And, with inflow of oil cargo slated to increase to Vizag port in the coming months, it is expected that Vizag might regain the top sl ot this year.

The cargoes that contributed to the increase in Vizag port's throughput during the last three months included iron ore (18.43 lakh tonnes), coking coal (14.99 lakh tonnes) and thermal coal (13.6 lakh tonnes). -- Our Bureaus