Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), April 7: Inter-island shipping services in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been rescheduled following the unavailability of key vessels undergoing dry dock and annual maintenance in Kolkata, affecting passenger movement and cargo supply to the southern group of islands.
The Directorate of Shipping Services stated that MV Campbell Bay and MV Sindhu are currently under dry dock and Annual Planned Survey, leading to disruption in scheduled sailings. MV Campbell Bay, which was expected to arrive at Sri Vijaya Puram in the first week of April 2026, has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Officials reported that the absence of these vessels has created operational challenges in maintaining regular inter-island connectivity. The situation has been compounded by heavy passenger traffic and an acute shortage of essential commodities in the southern islands.
To address the shortfall, the vessel Nalanda, with a cargo capacity of 150 tonnes, is being deployed to the southern group of islands. Authorities noted that MV Kalighat alone is insufficient to meet the cargo demand due to limited capacity.
As part of the revised inter-island sailing programme, MV Kalighat will sail from Sri Vijaya Puram to Campbell Bay via Nancowry on April 7 at 0900 hrs and return on April 9 at 0800 hrs. Nalanda will operate additional sailings on April 14 and April 21, with routes covering Campbell Bay via Nancowry and Katchal, subject to weather conditions for berthing at Katchal port. Further sailings are scheduled on April 28, replacing MV Kalighat on select routes.
The Directorate has also revised the mainland-island sailing schedules for vessels including MV Swaraj Dweep, Nalanda and MV Campbell Bay, superseding earlier notifications issued in March and April 2026.
Under the updated schedule, MV Swaraj Dweep will operate multiple voyages between Sri Vijaya Puram, Chennai and Vizag from April to June 2026. Nalanda is scheduled for mainland voyages in May, connecting Sri Vijaya Puram with Chennai and Kolkata via Campbell Bay and Nancowry, as well as Mayabunder. MV Campbell Bay is slated to resume mainland operations in June with scheduled sailings between Sri Vijaya Puram and Chennai.
Authorities stated that all sailings remain subject to weather conditions, and any changes in schedule may occur without liability for losses. Passengers holding tickets under previously announced schedules have been advised to follow the revised programme for travel.
The Directorate acknowledged the inconvenience caused due to the changes and indicated that the revised schedule aims to manage passenger movement and cargo supply amid vessel constraints.
