India To Establishes First Port of Refuge to Strengthen Maritime Safety

To strengthen the India’s maritime security Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has operationalized India’s first Port of Refuge (PoR). This initiative creates the structured system for the handling ships in distress and filling a long-standing gap in the country’s maritime infrastructure. As India has over 11,000 km of coastline and India comes that category who have some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. As of today it lacked the structured mechanism to assist vessels during emergencies.

What is a Port of Refuge?

A Port of Refuge (PoR) is a designated as the safe location where ships facing emergencies such as fire, collision or mechanical failure and with this they can seek shelter. The goal of PoR to stabilize the vessel, protect lives and minimize environmental damage.

Globally PoRs are a standard feature for the maritime nations, ensuring quick and coordinated responses during crises. Their absence in India had often raised concerns and especially as the increasing volume of shipping traffic.

With this initiative India now has the formal emergency response framework which enhances,

• Safety of crew and cargo
• Protection of marine ecosystems
• Efficiency in handling maritime disasters

Key Locations: Dighi and Gopalpur Ports

APSEZ has identified the two strategic ports as India’s first Ports of Refuge,

Dighi Port (West Coast): It will supports traffic in the Arabian Sea and routes towards the Persian Gulf

Gopalpur Port (East Coast): Also serves vessels in the Bay of Bengal and routes towards the Malacca Strait

These ports are strategically positioned to cover both major maritime corridors and will ensuring pan-India coverage for emergency response.

Advanced Emergency Services and Global Collaboration

The Ports of Refuge will provide the range of specialized services like including the,

• Salvage and wreck removal
• Firefighting support
• Pollution control measures
• Emergency coordination systems

To enhance capabilities APSEZ has also partnered with global experts like SMIT Salvage (Boskalis) and the Maritime Emergency Response Centre.

Recent Incidents Highlight Urgent Need

Recent the geopolitical tensions and maritime incidents have highlighted the importance of such facilities. In March 2026 India allowed refuge to Iranian naval vessels like IRIS Lavan at Kochi amid technical issues and the regional conflict.

These incidents has raise the lack of a structured system for handling such emergencies. The new PoR framework ensures that future responses are faster, safer and more coordinated.

Question

Q. Dighi Port primarily serves ships in which maritime corridor?

A. Bay of Bengal towards Malacca Strait
B. Arabian Sea towards Persian Gulf
C. Indian Ocean towards South Africa
D. Pacific Ocean towards Southeast Asia