Mumbai Again......

The tragedy off Mumbai port where two ships flying the Panaminian flags collided a few fays ago was waiting to happen. With the container ship shedding oilthe situation is very serious, for the residents of Mumbai. Also, the Ports of Mumbai and JNPT have since been shut down, as the 'Chitra' has dropped an unspecified number of containers into the sea, which are a navigational hazard and preclude other ships from safely entering or leaving port.

Amidst the breast beating a couple of questions need to be answered:

1. Did the two ships have Harbour pilots on board?
2. Mumbai has a fully functional Vessel Traffic Management System, which should have been guiding both ships.
3. Our disaster response and management systems have proven to inadequate again.

A laundry list of the damages.

1. Environmental disaster which is still unravelling.
2. India's financial hub shut down.
3. Huge capital loss, in terms of damage to ships and cargo, where an insurance firm is going to take a severe hit.Maybe the ships are a total write off.
4. Cost of salvaging the sinking container ship. This task is going to be tough- tough, due to the choppy seas around Mumbai, in this time of the year.
5. The possibility that the Chitra, will prove to be a permanent wreck, impeding navigation around the ports.

Initially, it was thought that there were no fatalities. That apparently is wrong.A poor police officer with limited swimming skills fell off the police patrol boat and drowned.Trust us to have the wrong people at the wrong place.The other policemen in the speed boat ( three ) also did not know swimming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One can only grind one's teeth in frustration..................

Responsibility with authority!

I read an interesting piece of news, regarding the Captain of a King Fisher Airlines plane, disembarking an unruly passenger, yesterday.

A few years ago, on a trip back to India from Bangkok, I was seated beside a gent who took off with his liquor, as soon as the plane was airborne. He downed cocktails at the speed of light! Soon the chap was drunk & demanding more. When the cabin crew politely declined, he got abusive & demanded to see the "Pilot". The frightened girl called the flight steward, who tried to calm the situation down, even as the decibel level grew and the rarefied air was thick with expletives.All of a sudden, the cockpit door burst open & the Commander, a Brit, strode down the aisle and asked what was going on. After getting the full picture- he told the drunk passenger, that he would be clapped in irons ( hand cuffed ) and locked in a toilet. The silence that followed was deafening. There was no further issue & the rest of the journey was very uneventful.

A friend of mine, a erstwhile helicopter pilot, told of me of an interesting incident, when he was flying a senior politician. Prior to take off the weather turned bad & my friend refused to fly. The politician was furious and threatened the pilot with dire consequences. My friend stood his ground & still refused to fly. The next day the politician, invited him to breakfast & apologized for his unreasonable behavior!

The point I'm trying to make is that responsibility calls for authority.To handle great responsibility you need great authority. Many a time we are quick off the blocks to frame, rules & responsibilities, for our subordinates without giving them adequate authority to carry the responsibility.When they fail ( which they will ), we question their competence. There can be no responsibility without authority, is what you will find if you read the Japan Convention on Air Safety. On an aircraft the Captain's decision reigns supreme & the next time you have the urge to be naughty on an aircraft, watch your step.

The bigger picture is for managers, to exercise caution, before they delegate responsibility!Don't forget the authority part.....................