In the wake of the Mumbai terror attack, the Indian Navy has directed that crew change in all vessels operating in high seas would have to be done at the port of call, and not by ferrying people through dinghies or helicopters to the shore.

The new directive came to light when the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) sought Naval Intelligence’s exemption from its stricture that “crew change can only be done when a seismic vessel makes a port call” rather than through supply vessels, fishing boats or helicopter. Director General V K Sibal said in his letter that survey vessels deployed at a stretch for three to five months could not make frequent calls for offloading DGH geologists and geophysicists every fortnight.

Seismic survey ships searching for oil and gas bearing zones operate only during fair weather from October-May. Due to the small window, these vessels do not call at the port until their assignment is completed. “Having more frequent port calls will not be commercially viable for the seismic vessels. It, therefore, follows that DGH representative will be required to stay in the vessel for a much longer duration than the current tenure of 14 days,” Sibal wrote on March 12. One way out, he wrote, was to allow the existing practice of permitting crew change by helicopter, supply boat or fishing boat. Or else, the “Defence Ministry may explore the possibility of deputing Naval officers for security officer duty in place of DGH officers,” he added.

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