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The Rediff Interview/A N M Kishore

'Warning signals about killer cyclones are conveyed through telegram, not e-mail, not fax, not even telex'

The recent cyclone that killed over a thousand people in the Kandla Port Trust area has cast doubts over the role of the port administration, with charges being levelled that it did not warn the people of the gravity of the imminent disaster. The state government, as well as the meteorological department, has blamed the KPT. However, in an exclusive interview with Syed Firdaus Ashraf, KPT Chairman A N M Kishore explained what went wrong.

The Gujarat government has accused the KPT of not evacuating people living in the port area in time, thereby causing the large number of deaths.

We are clear in our mind that our role is confined to port area only, where we are expected to warn the ships, give signals and take care of port employees. In fact, we had stopped work on June 7 and asked our people not to come the next day. Had we not done this, 1,500 people could have died. The government is trying to blame the very KPT that has saved so many lives.

I feel no one really anticipated the severity of the storm. The toll was high because the tidal wave combined with strong winds to wreak havoc. The Kandla port witnesses a lot of variation in tides. Just look at the devastation! Even huge oil tanks swayed and rolled 40 metres from their location.

So holding the KPT responsible for deaths in hutments is ridiculous. This sort of thing is not done elsewhere. I should know, as I have worked in top positions at three ports.

So who do you think should have taken up the responsibility for evacuation?

Of course, the state government. Who has the control of law? Who has the control over revenue? You see, the port trust is a small organisation. We are not like some centrally administered territory. We are not Delhi or Chandigarh. It is being misquoted and misrepresented. They have all the powers. We are a port authority carrying out commercial functions. Our role and powers are limited. So evacuation is naturally the role of district and state authorities.

Had only 10 people died, I don't think there would have been any controversy. You see, we took precautions, which is why only six out of 6,000 KPT employees died.

Is that why the KPT is being blamed -- for saving its own people, caring two hoots for others?

It is like saying that I am the owner of this land. Do I really own 220,000 acres of land? Do I really own what is larger than the state of Holland? Well, if the Bombay Port Trust owns much of south Bombay, can the BPT be held responsible for a casualty in Bombay?

Where were you when the storm hit the port?

I was there just half-an-hour before the storm. I was fortunate -- people who left 20 minutes later were unlucky. But that is not the issue. The whole issue is this allegation that the KPT is responsible (for the safety of people). We will prove it is the responsibility of the police. We discharged whatever was our responsibility.

I am not a politician. I don't want to make any political statement. We are not for any confrontation. But then, when all the dirt was flung at us, we had to defend ourselves.

What is the confusion about signalling?

There is no confusion as far as I am concerned. The weather bureau should have forewarned us. In the morning, it was signal 4, not a cause for concern. Then, suddenly, in the afternoon, it was signal 8, danger, cyclone. Anyway, this is not the time to go into minute details.

Now how are you helping the displaced?

We are trying to give them some land, temporary as well as permanent, though it is not our responsibility.

Do you think you are being made a scapegoat?

Yes, yes. They (state government officials) are big people. Thankfully, the central government is fully satisfied with our efforts. We are giving daily reports.

Will you resign if asked to?

(Laughs). It is very far-fetched.

So who is to blame for the huge loss of life and property?

We are the owners of the land. And there are hutments. They come and go. There are no records of casual workers. That's why, nobody seems to know how many people are missing. They don't even belong to this place. There must be some rules.

What do you think about the weather bureau's role in the matter?

They suddenly wake up and sound a warning note. And more importantly, the communication and signalling systems are not up to the mark in any of the 11 major ports, leave alone the minor ports. The unexpected severity of the storm was not anticipated at all.

Till noon, I was there and nothing much happened. The disaster occurred because the storm changed its direction by 180 degrees due to tidal waves.

You mean, no one can be held responsible for the deaths?

In case of natural calamity even the state government could have done very little in such a short span of time. But others should not be blamed.

Then there is this Indian mentality. Kandla is not normally prone to cyclonic storms. If you tell people that a big storm is coming, they will laugh at you. Or will say, " Chalta hai, kal dekhenge " (It's OK. We'll think about it tomorrow). That day (June 8), I went for my morning walk as usual. It was just drizzling then. Even the wind was not very strong.

Does this call for upgradation of cyclone warning systems?

We will discuss this at the All India Ports Meeting. All the ports need better communication systems. Some newspapers reported that ports are better-equipped than ISRO. We have nothing. We are only supposed to report the information. We are not supposed to put up the storm signal on our own. We are expected to act on information offered by the met department. And the all-important information does not come by e-mail, fax or telex but by telegram! And this is how it works everywhere (in Gujarat). So, we need to improve this system.

How long will it take to restore normalcy at the port?

I think it will take us a minimum two to three months. Last year was one of the best years for us. We handled 38.9 million tonnes (of cargo). This year's target was 40 MT. I don't think it can be achieved.

Our first priority will be oil, because we don't want to stop any oil supply to the North-East. After the fire accident in HPCL refinery last year, the entire burden was shifted on to us. And the entire North-East and some parts of the North-West depend on us for products such as kerosene.

So, we have today started handling oil as it is the main source of profit. Out of the six terminals, we have started three, which should hopefully meet 50 per cent of the workload. We are also segregating the foodgrain items. We will give priority to edible items.

We handle over 50 types of chemicals. But the government has given priority to fuel products. Importance is also being given to general cargo. Sheds sustained maximum damage,/ the roofs were simply blown away.

Photograph: Jewella C Miranda

The Rediff Interviews