Sri Vijaya Puram, May 22: The Directorate of Shipping Services has announced an additional sailing of the vessel Sindhu to Campbell Bay following increased passenger movement linked to the recent Forest Department recruitment process in the Southern Group of Islands, while also revising portions of the vessel’s previously announced sailing schedule due to administrative reasons.
According to an official statement issued in Sri Vijaya Puram on May 21, the additional sailing has been arranged to clear stranded candidates and passengers travelling between Sri Vijaya Puram and Campbell Bay after the recruitment exercise conducted by the Forest Department Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
Under the special arrangement, the vessel Sindhu will sail from Haddo Wharf in Sri Vijaya Puram to Campbell Bay on May 22 at 4 pm. The return journey from Campbell Bay to Sri Vijaya Puram has been scheduled for May 23 at 5 pm.
The Directorate stated that passenger ticket booking for the additional sailing would open to the general public from 9 am on May 22 onwards. Tickets can be booked online through the DSS e-ticketing portal, while offline tickets will also be available through STARS ticketing counters.
Officials said the move was taken in response to the increased demand for inter-island transportation following the recruitment process, which had resulted in a large number of candidates and accompanying passengers travelling to and from the Nicobar region.
Alongside the additional sailing announcement, the Directorate also notified changes in the scheduled voyages of the vessel Sindhu on the Little Andaman and Campbell Bay sectors.
As per the revised schedule, the vessel will now sail for Little Andaman on May 24 at 10 pm instead of the previously announced departure at 8 am from Sri Vijaya Puram. The return sailing from Little Andaman to Sri Vijaya Puram has also been rescheduled and will now depart on May 25 at 10 am instead of the earlier notified timing of May 24 at 9 pm.
Further revisions have been announced for the Campbell Bay route via Nancowry. The vessel Sindhu will now sail from Sri Vijaya Puram to Campbell Bay via Nancowry on May 27 at 9 am instead of May 26. The return sailing from Campbell Bay to Sri Vijaya Puram via Nancowry has been rescheduled to May 29 at 8 am instead of May 28.
The Directorate attributed the revisions to administrative reasons and advised passengers to take note of the updated timings before planning travel arrangements.
Inter-island shipping services remain one of the primary modes of transportation connecting remote islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, particularly for passengers travelling between South Andaman, Little Andaman and the Nicobar group of islands. Changes in sailing schedules often impact movement of residents, government employees, students and candidates travelling for official and recruitment-related purposes.
The additional Campbell Bay voyage comes amid heightened passenger movement generated by the recent Forest Department recruitment exercise in the Southern Group of Islands. Such recruitment drives often witness participation from candidates across different islands, increasing demand on shipping services during the travel period.
Passengers have been advised to verify sailing schedules and ticket availability through official channels before departure, as operational timings may remain subject to weather conditions and administrative requirements.
The Directorate also reiterated that tickets for the announced sailings can be booked through the official DSS online portal or purchased from designated ticketing counters.
