The passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai (KKS) suburb of Jaffna district, which was scheduled to resume on May 13, has been delayed indefinitely due to a “technical shortcoming,” Sri Lankan Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva announced on Wednesday.
This setback marks another chapter in the challenges faced by the much-anticipated ferry service between India and Sri Lanka. The service commenced on October 14 last year after nearly four decades of hiatus, only to be suspended shortly after due to rough weather. Since then, the resumption of the ferry service, a vital component of India-Sri Lanka maritime cooperation, has been postponed three times.
The high-speed ferry, covering a distance of 111 kilometers (60 nautical miles) in approximately three and a half hours, connects Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai. It is expected to provide an efficient and cost-effective means of travel for the people of both countries, boosting tourism and trade links while strengthening people-to-people ties.
Operated by IndSri Ferry Services, a private operator selected by the Shipping Corporation of India in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka, the ferry service holds promise for enhancing economic activity around the two ports and invigorating local economies.
