Amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, an LPG tanker that left on Monday is scheduled to reach India today. The government has announced that the ship ‘Shivalik’ carrying LPG is expected to reach Mundra port in Gujarat by 5:00 pm today. However, it may take a little longer to arrive; But even in that case, it will definitely reach Mundra port by 6:00 pm. According to the central government, 24 Indian-flagged ships were stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. Of these, Iran allowed two ships—’Shivalik’ and ‘Nanda Devi’—to sail. Both ships departed with LPG on 14 March. In total, both these vessels are carrying 92,700 tonnes of LPG.
What are the arrangements at Mundra Port?
Rajesh Sinha of the Shipping Ministry said on Monday that the ship ‘Shivalik’, which left from the Persian Gulf carrying LPG, has successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz and is now heading towards India. It is expected to reach between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm. He further informed that all necessary documents and logistics arrangements have been completed before the arrival of ‘Shivalik’ at Mundra port, so that there is no delay in unloading the cargo.
‘Nanda Devi’ is also following behind
On March 14, Iran allowed both Indian ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. While ‘Shivalik’ is expected to reach the port by Monday evening, ‘Nanda Devi’ is expected to reach the port by Tuesday evening. ‘Nanda Devi’ is also carrying around 40,000 to 45,000 metric tonnes of LPG. ‘Nanda Devi’ is scheduled to reach Kandla port in Gujarat by Tuesday evening.
A big diplomatic victory for India
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran. In response, Iran subsequently closed the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz affected India’s crude oil and gas supplies, as India imports 80–90 percent of its crude oil needs and 60 percent of its LPG needs. Of this total quantity, 85–90 percent of LPG comes from Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Ensuring safe passage of the two Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz—where Iran has been blocking and attacking ships—is not only a major diplomatic victory, but also significant given the importance of the cargo, which has previously disrupted LPG supplies due to shipping issues.
22 Indian ships still stranded
Currently, 22 Indian ships are stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. There are a total of 611 Indian sailors on board these ships. According to Rajesh Sinha, out of the 22 Indian ships stranded in the western part of the Strait of Hormuz, six are LPG carrying ships. One ship is carrying LNG, while four are crude oil tankers. A ship carrying chemical products; In addition, there are three container ships and two bulk carriers. Of the remaining ships, one is a ‘dredger’, and the other is an empty ship with no cargo on board. Three other ships are currently in ‘dry dock’, meaning they are there for routine maintenance.