Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 19 October 2023
The state-of-the-art vessel, ‘Nalanda,’ which was inducted into the Andaman and Nicobar Administration’s fleet in 2022, has been a popular choice for residents of the islands. With the capacity to ferry 500 passengers and carry essential cargo, it serves the remote islands of the Nicobar District.
Nalanda offers various travel classes, including Deluxe, First Class, Second Class, Bunk Class and Seats. The Deluxe and First Class cabins come equipped with modern amenities and attached toilets, ensuring a comfortable journey for passengers. Second Class offers six-passenger cabins with attached toilets. In contrast, Bunk Class provides dormitory-style accommodation with bunk beds and shared restrooms.
While the ship’s other classes are maintained well, the story within the Bunk Class is starkly different. On its voyage to Campbell Bay on the 17th of October 2023 from Port Blair, passengers in the Bunk Class were appalled to find filthy bed linens that appeared to have accumulated dust and mysterious stains over time. It raised questions about whether the linens had ever been washed since the ship’s induction.
What was more disconcerting was the absence of pillows for passengers in the Bunk Class. Surprisingly, the ship had only one spare linen for the numerous bunk beds, leaving passengers with no choice but to sleep on the unclean linens without any apparent remorse from the crew.
The crew attributed the linens to have been made from fire-resistant material and discouraged passengers from removing them. Some passengers were also harrowed by the bed bugs in some sections of the bunk class. Despite passengers paying for their tickets, they were forced to endure the unsanitary conditions.
The common toilets on board were also found to be in a deplorable state throughout the journey. They lacked essential amenities such as buckets and mugs. Furthermore, the provision of a jet spray, a common feature in modern restrooms, had been neglected in the shared facilities on the ship.
In another disheartening discovery, the washbasins in the Bunk Class dining saloon area frequently suffered from blockages and there was no soap near the washbasins, causing inconvenience to passengers.
The Directorate of Shipping Services now faces calls to prioritise the living conditions on board vessels like ‘Nalanda.’ Passengers’ well-being and hygiene need to be ensured as a top priority, especially on a ship serving the needs of the remote and isolated communities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.