Ferry service between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai resumes after 11 months
The passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam, India and Kankesanthurai, Sri Lanka resumed on August 16, 2024, after being suspended in October 2023 due to bad weather.
The ferry, Sivagangai, can carry 150 passengers and the trip takes about four hours.
The service was flagged off by Nagapattinam MP V. Selvaraj, Puducherry Home Minister A. Namassivayam, and Nagapattinam Collector P. Akash.
The service was originally launched on October 14, 2023, but was suspended shortly after due to the northeast monsoon.
Plans to relaunch in May 2024 were delayed and eventually canceled, which disappointed travelers.
However, the service’s managing director, S. Niranjan Nanthagopan, said he was confident about the resumption because the ferry had been upgraded and the company had secured all the necessary international certifications.
The ferry service is expected to strengthen cultural and economic ties between India and Sri Lanka by increasing maritime connectivity and fostering people-to-people ties.