New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) India-flagged merchant ship Green Asha, which crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 5, has safely reached Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday with its cargo of 15,400 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), according to an official statement. The arrival of the tanker has come at a crucial time to augment cooking gas supplies in the country amid the West Asia crisis. The has moored at JNPA's liquid berth operated by Bharat Petroleum and Indian Oil.Another India-flagged LPG vessel, Green Sanvi, had crossed the Strait on April 6 and is expected to reach India soon.Meanwhile, with the improved situation, more LNG cargoes are also expected to arrive, which has enabled the government to increase the overall gas allocation to fertiliser plants by 5 per cent to reach approximately 95 per cent of their six-month average consumption.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Missions, continues to actively monitor the evolving situation in the Persian Gulf region.All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Ports and Shipping.The Directorate General of Shipping continues to closely monitor developments in the tense region, in coordination with ship owners, Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) agencies and Indian Missions, the statement said.The DG Shipping Control Room has handled 5,647 calls and 12,043 emails since activation, including 166 calls and 317 emails in the past 24 hours.

DG Shipping has facilitated the safe repatriation of over 1,803 Indian seafarers so far, including 49 in the past 24 hours from various locations across the Gulf region.Port operations across India continue normally with no congestion reported. State Maritime Boards of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry have confirmed smooth functioning.The Ministry continues to coordinate closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure the welfare of Indian seafarers and uninterrupted maritime operations, the statement added.

/IANS