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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated,...

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated, highlighting the dramatic turnaround. He revealed that from approximately 100 Maoist cadres on record in January 2024, the number has plummeted to barely 10 individuals whose movements are now confined to a very small pocket of the Bhamragad sub-division in South Gadchiroli, near the Chhattisgarh border. “North Gadchiroli is now free of Maoism. The Maoists have to surrender and join the mainstream or face police action... there is no other option.” The SP attributes this success to a meticulously executed multi-pronged strategy encompassing intensified anti-Maoist operations, a robust Civic Action Programme, and the effective utilisation of Maharashtra’s attractive surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy. The Gadchiroli Police, especially the elite C-60 commandos, have achieved significant operational milestones. In the last three years alone, they have neutralised 43 hardcore Maoists and achieved a 100 per cent success rate in operations without police casualties for nearly five years. SP Neelotpal highlighted that the security forces have aggressively moved to close the “security vacuum,” which was once an estimated 3,000 square kilometres of unpoliced territory used by Maoists for training and transit. The establishment of eight new police camps/Forward Operating Bases (FoBs) since January 2023, including in the remote Abujhmad foothills, has been crucial in securing these areas permanently. Winning Hearts, Minds The Civic Action Programme has been deemed a “game changer” by the SP. Through schemes like ‘Police Dadalora Khidaki’ and ‘Project Udaan’, the police have transformed remote outposts into service delivery centres, providing essential government services and employment opportunities. This sustained outreach has successfully countered Maoist propaganda and, most critically, resulted in zero Maoist recruitment from Gadchiroli for the last few years. Surrender Wave The state’s progressive rehabilitation policy has seen a massive influx of surrenders. “One sentiment is common among all the surrendered cadres: that the movement has ended, it has lost public support, and without public support, no movement can sustain,” the SP noted. The surrender of key figures, notably that of Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias ‘Bhupathi,’ a CPI (Maoist) Politburo member, and his wife Sangeeta, was a “landmark development” that triggered a surrender wave. Since June 2024, over 126 Maoists have surrendered. The rehabilitation program offers land, housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and employment. Surrendered cadres are receiving skill training and are successfully transitioning into normal life, with around 70 already employed in the local Lloyds plant. A District Reborn The transformation of Gadchiroli is now moving beyond security concerns. With the decline of extremism, the district is rapidly moving towards development and normalcy. The implementation of development schemes, round-the-clock electricity, water supply, mobile towers, and new infrastructure like roads and bridges is being given top priority. He concludes that the police’s focus is now shifting from an anti-Maoist offensive to routine law-and-order policing, addressing new challenges like industrialisation, theft, and traffic management. With the Maoist movement in “complete disarray” and major strongholds like the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zone collapsing, the SP is highly optimistic. Gadchiroli is not just getting rid of the Naxal menace; it is embracing its future as a developing, peaceful district, well on track to meet the central government’s goal of eradicating Naxalism by March 31, 2026.

Green Fuel and Shipping Corridors: India’s Chance to Shine

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Green Fuel and Shipping Corridors: India’s Chance to Shine

A large container ship consumes about 120 metric tonnes (MT) of fuel each day. This amount of fuel is equivalent to the daily energy needs of about 50,000 Indian homes. Shipping has been in the spotlight as a polluter since the Conference of Parties (COP)-16 in 2010. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the shipping industry are equal to Japan’s GHG emissions at around 3%, and as per the current trajectory, this is likely to increase to 4.5% by 2050.

Fast forward to five years, and COP-21 (2015), in its ‘zero emission shipping’, established these highly ambitious targets for the shipping industry to be achieved by 2030:

• Demonstrate commercially viable zero-emission ships.

• Make zero-emission fuel vessels the natural choice for ship owners.

• Build 20 ports with zero-emission carbon-neutral bunkering facilities.

• Ensure 600 large ships operate on well-to-wake carbon-neutral fuel. Well-to-wake refers to fuel extraction from the ‘well’ to the ship’s ‘wake’ when sailing.

• Crew safety is a priority on ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol-fuelled ships.

• Production of 16 million metric tonnes of zero-emission carbon-neutral fuels.

There are uncertainties about fuel carriage capacity, long-distance sailing, and safety concerns for seafarers since ammonia is emerging as the most promising carbon-neutral fuel for ships in the future.

Barring a few leading ship owners like Maersk and AET (Malaysia), most other shipping organisations are waiting and watching, hesitant to invest in dual or carbon-neutral-fuelled ships. This reluctance is primarily due to the high cost of retrofits, new designs, and increased operational expenses. On the supply side, green fuel providers are also holding back due to a lack of buyers, so the paradox with green fuel continues.


Green corridors for ships, and where is India?

Green shipping corridors are bunkering facilities established along shipping routes to supply carbon-neutral fuel at competitive international rates, with a minimum diversion in their sea passage. Ships that use liner services or fixed routes can opt for such green corridors. Ships on spot charter may still need the dual fuel option, since the trading areas may not have green corridors or green fuel bunkering facilities. Interestingly, the number of green corridors has increased significantly from 21 to 50 since the last year.

The Government of India has identified three ports for green ammonia bunkering. Paradip Port, located on the East Coast of India in Odisha; Deendayal Port, also known as Kandla Port, situated on the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat; and V.O. Chidambaranar Port, located at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. How well are these ports positioned to become preferred green fuel bunkering options for ships passing through the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, whether eastbound or westbound?

Options such as Cochin at 10° North and Vizhinjam at 8.2° North are strategically located near the passage for East and Westbound vessels. Policymakers should explore whether and how the value chain of green fuel supply can be developed around main shipping trade routes, requiring virtually no diversion.

An equivalent to the BRICS partnership, Brazil’s CSN (Companhia Siderurgica Nacional Group), operates two terminals in Port Rio. They have signed for a green corridor with Port Sines in Portugal, which will cover the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean from south to north. Similarly, Adani’s Vizhinjam could join hands with Singapore for a green corridor.

The longitudinal stretch spanning 45 degrees in the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and Bay of Bengal region from Aden, Yemen, to Bandar Aceh in Indonesia is about 12% of the entire globe’s surface area. The Indian Government must strategically capitalise on this maritime region where they have significant influence and establish a green corridor to become a dominant player. Without meticulous planning, expedited clearances, and expert involvement, India risks missing the boat and allowing ports like Colombo to gain upper hand.

(The writer is a Marine and Shipping consultant. Views personal.)

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