Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) 14: The Directorate of Shipping Services has announced the cancellation of the scheduled sailing of vessel Nalanda to Little Andaman on April 19, 2026, following its deployment in the Kolkata sector. The change also affects the return voyage originally planned for the same day.
According to the revised schedule, the vessel Nalanda was earlier set to depart from Sri Vijaya Puram at 0800 hours on April 19 and return from Little Andaman at 2100 hours the same day. Both sailings have now been cancelled due to operational deployment requirements.
To ensure continued connectivity between Sri Vijaya Puram and Little Andaman, the department has arranged an alternative service. Vessel MV Bharat Seema will now operate the route on the same day, departing from Haddo Wharf at 0800 hours on April 19 and returning from Little Andaman at 2100 hours.
The revised arrangement has been made to facilitate passengers travelling to and from Little Andaman without disruption in inter-island transport services. Authorities have advised passengers holding confirmed tickets for MV Nalanda to cancel their existing bookings and purchase fresh tickets for MV Bharat Seema.
Ticket booking for MV Bharat Seema will open for the general public on April 16, 2026, from 0900 hours onwards. Passengers will be able to reserve tickets through the Directorate of Shipping Services e-ticketing portal, accessible at https://dss.andamannicobar.gov.in/eticketing. A QR code linked to the portal has also been made available for user convenience.
In addition to online booking, tickets can also be purchased through STARS ticketing counters located across designated points for passenger facilitation.
The Directorate of Shipping Services has urged passengers to take note of the revised sailing schedule and make necessary arrangements in advance to avoid inconvenience. The advisory is part of ongoing efforts to maintain uninterrupted inter-island connectivity despite vessel deployment adjustments.
The change in scheduling highlights the operational flexibility required in managing inter-island transport services, ensuring that passenger movement between Sri Vijaya Puram and Little Andaman continues without major disruption.
