ALL INDIA MARITIME PILOTS' ASSOCIATION
- The need and its Ideals
The formation of the All India Maritime Pilot’s Association fulfilled a need that has been badly felt amongst the Indian Maritime Pilots’ community for a long time. Hurdles were being faced by pilots to an extent that their morale was being affected. So a group of Indian mariners, being concerned for the safety and welfare of their fellow professionals who worked as maritime pilots, decided to form the AIMPA. Though the need for such a formally established association was long felt, the trigger was the sad demise of Mumbai pilot Capt V.P.Gupta on 8th August 2019. The incident led to pilots expressing bitterly their dissatisfaction with the prevailing “eco-system” in which many were having to perform their duties. Within a short time, many stepped up to join discussions to make the formation of a formally established association of pilots a reality.
The round table format of discussions that took place led to a resolution being passed by that informal grouping to make the establishment of a formal association “of the pilots, for the pilots and by the pilots” a reality at the soonest. The association would be charged with the duty to improve the existing “eco-system” by working to promote the safety, welfare, interests, and professional development of India’s maritime pilots at whichever port they may be working at or providing their services to. The area that the association would be immediately address would be that of the safety issues concerned with pilot transfer arrangements (PTA) which include boarding positions in a port. At the outset (at the round table discussions), it was recognized that bringing about desired changes would require the association to work closely with the Indian Ports Association, Major Ports, Minor and Intermediate Ports private or public, Terminal Operators, Government Authorities and Regulators and so on.
“Over all, the entire Pilotage system needs overhaul and progressive reforms.”
Systems in India are very poor at collecting data. Data for pilotage accidents in India, it is safe to say, is practically 100% not available publicly. Such data, even if available within a port or the concerned authorities, is not shared with the public. And if the data were to be made available to the public, what then? Who would analyze and make sense of it? Draw the right lessons and take-aways? Implement those take-aways in the form of changes to work practices, training, re-training, technological advancements? Capt Gupta’s incident pointed to the dire need to raise awareness amongst ships’ crews and port managements as to how much the safety of the Person on the Ladder lies in others’ hands. But then who is to raise the levels of such awareness? For all these questions, the answer is now available. It is of course “AIMPA”!
When the initial grouping of mariners floated the idea of forming a formal association of pilots to concerned authorities and entities, they received instant agreement and encouragement from them and all of whom asked that they go ahead.
“And so, here we are! And this website lets the whole world know.”
