Celebrating a Glorious Past: Paradip Port Observes 47th World Maritime Day 

By Pravakara Sahoo

Paradip, Sept. 25: Paradip Port marked the 47th World Maritime Day on Wednesday, celebrating under this year’s theme: Navigating the Future: Safety First!”

World Maritime Day, unlike National Maritime Day, does not have a fixed date for its observance. It is traditionally celebrated during the last week of September, with individual governments choosing the specific date. This year, India’s Directorate General of Shipping designated September 25, 2024, as the official day of celebration.

At Paradip Port Authority (PPA), the event commenced with the hoisting of the World Maritime Day flag by Captain A.C. Sahoo, Deputy Conservator of PPA, at the Marine Site office. The ceremony was attended by Heads of Departments (HoDs), senior officials from the Marine Department, and students from Orissa Maritime Academy. Following the flag-raising, the students led an awareness rally through the port township, emphasizing the importance of maritime safety.

The day’s activities culminated in a seminar at the Officers’ Club, where maritime experts Shri M.K. Mohanta, a marine engineer, and Captain S.S. Misra, a pilot, shared their insights on the theme “Navigating the Future: Safety First.” Their discussions underscored the critical role of safety in the evolving maritime industry and the need to prepare for future challenges.

World Maritime Day was first celebrated on March 17, 1978, to commemorate the enforcement of the first International Maritime Organization (IMO) convention in 1958. Since then, it has become an annual global event, observed in the last week of September, to highlight the importance of the maritime industry and its safety standards worldwide.