INTERVIEW: Maj Arun Pathak, President & Exec. Director, ABG Shipyard We are Not Running Away: Maj. Arun Pathak

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 28 | 2 MAR 2012

INTERVIEW: Maj Arun Pathak, President & Exec. Director, ABG Shipyard

We are Not Running Away:

Maj. Arun Pathak

Maj Arun Pathak,
President & Exec Director, ABG Shipyard

MV Campbell Bay, one of the passenger ships built by Western India Shipyard Ltd, an ABG Group Company, has put the Goa-based ship building company in serious discomfort after the Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS) has refused to sign the Protocol of Acceptance and even take over the ship after a major defect of vibration was detected. Maj. Arun Pathak, President and Executive Director, ABG Group alongwith Cdr. Subash Mutreja, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Western India Shipyard Ltd were in town to look into the issue. They spoke to The Light of Andamans about the problem and their future course of action.

"MV Campbell Bay is a state-of-the-art ship manufactured by our firm, with all modern amenities. Our firm has the credit of building about 152 ships and about 90% of our vessels are exported," said Maj Phatak. "We have built ships for Coast Guard and many other prominent companies in India and abroad. Ship building is like a passion for us."

When asked about the defects on the ship, Maj Phatak said that DSS has only communicated about vibration on 3rd Deck, when plied above the speed of 12 knots. "They haven't told us about any other issues," he said.

"We want the ship to ply and we are not running away halfway. We know that there is a major defect of vibration and we are looking into the issue. We are also engaging naval architects," Maj Phatak said.

"When the issue was brought to our notice, a team was deputed and they have carried out a few remedial measures like stiffening to arrest vibration," Cdr Subash Mutreja said. "About 50% of the vibration has been controlled; however, we are not stopping at this. The actual source of vibration is yet to be diagnosed. Once detected, we will rectify it," he said.

"MV Campbell Bay was designed by Prof Sambhandham, a Ship Designer with NSDRC, who expired soon after the construction began. In our country, there is severe deficiency in designs. After NSDRC subsumed by Indian Maritime University, there are no ship designers," he said.

"The design of MV Campbell Bay was approved by everyone including DG Shipping and Shipping Corporation of India (SCI). Besides, SCI had an overseeing team with an office in our yard."

"About seven trials were conducted in Goa in which DG Shipping, representative of SCI and IRS were present. They had certified everything and documentations were complete when the ship left the Shipyard."

"DG Shipping conducted the functional trial and the underwater hull inspection in Port Blair."

"Indian Registrar of Shipping (IRS) is the only agency equipped to conduct vibration analysis. They had taken the reading at Goa and everything was OK. After the defect was notified by DSS, vibration reading was taken at Port Blair, where the defect was detected. Now after the temporary remedial steps like stiffening done under the supervision of Capt Thadani, a Naval architect, IRS would conduct analysis once again this week. The ship can ply comfortably at the speed of 12 knots," Maj Phatak said.

When asked about the delay in responding to the complaint both of them denied any delay and told LOA that at this juncture, they are not even pressing for the balance payment.