Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, May 20: The operation to retrieve the barge that has now fully sunk off Mukka coast in the Arabian Sea, began on Thursday May 19.

A private company functioning from Kottara in the city has bagged the contract for lifting the barge out of the sea. The officials of the company visited the site on Thursday, and held consultations on ways and means to salvage the barge in a way so as not to cause any sea pollution, and to restore it to its original position to enable it to continue with its operations.

In addition to the barge, a Hitachi engine has also sunk. In all likelihood, parts of both the barge and the engine would have been buried under the sand. The barge had sunk arguably because of the failure of one of its pillars which was supposed to hold it firm under water. Because of the need to bring them out of the sand, the entire operation has been rendered difficult, and hence may take several days, it is being thought. As rain is also likely in this area in the coming days, precautionary steps are being taken.

The barge had anchored at the spot on May 6 this year, for the purpose of laying pipes for discharging effluents from Mangalore Special Economic Zone. Immediately after the barge was sighted, the locals had started protesting against the laying of the pipeline, fearing sea pollution and danger to fishing activity. Earlier efforts to save the barge, which started sinking on May 9, by using local cranes had not borne any fruits.