Adani Ports announces India's first Port of Refuge mechanism to boost maritime safety| India News

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) announced on Saturday that it has operationalised India’s first Port of Refuge (PoR), creating a structured mechanism to handle maritime emergencies and vessels in distress.The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) defines a PoR as a designated location where ships can seek shelter to stabilise conditions, protect life and limit environmental damage.According to a press release from Adani Ports, this addresses a long-standing gap in India's maritime emergency infrastructure.“While such frameworks are standard in major maritime economies, India had not formalised one until now,” the release further stated.The move comes as India, with a coastline of over 11,000 kilometres and located along key global shipping routes, seeks to strengthen its emergency response capabilities.“This milestone marks a significant step in strengthening India’s maritime safety ecosystem. Ports connect economies—but a Port of Refuge protects lives. By establishing dedicated PoR infrastructure, we are elevating India’s maritime preparedness and setting a new benchmark for world-class coastal safety. At APSEZ, we believe world-class infrastructure must be matched by world-class responsibility,” APSEZ CEO Ashwani Gupta said.“The initiative marks an important step in strengthening India’s maritime preparedness and emergency response capacity. The adoption of a standardised Port of Refuge framework will enable more coordinated, timely action during maritime incidents, ensuring the effective protection of life, cargo, and the coastal environment. I commend all stakeholders for their collaborative efforts in operationalising this important capability,” Director General (DG) of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan said.Adani Ports’ two-site Port of Refuge planAPSEZ has announced that it will designate two sites as PoR. These are Dighi Port on the west coast and Gopalpur Port on the east coast.While the PoR on the west coast will support traffic across the Arabian Sea and routes to the Persian Gulf, the one on the east coast will serve vessels in the Bay of Bengal and routes towards the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors.“The facilities will provide salvage and wreck removal, firefighting, pollution containment and emergency coordination services through specialised equipment and trained response teams,” the release added.