Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Sep 6: A V Ramana, chairman of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) clarified that there is no need for the fishermen or the environmentalists to get panicked about the possibility of damage to marine life or environment due to the sunken dredging vessel 'Tridevi Prem'. Ramana also assured that there is no chance of oil spillage from the vessel.
Speaking to the media on Friday, September 6, Ramana said, "There is no oil spillage from the dredger as per the reports of water samples that were sent for testing. The oil that was in the dredger is low-Sulphur high-speed diesel. So there is no chance of this kind of oil getting leaked. In addition, the abandoned vessel is not in the route of entry or exit to and from the port. So there is no issue of traffic also. The owner of dredger vessel have to contact the respective insurance company and salvage the vessel. Buoys will be floated around the area where the dredger is abandoned in order to prevent the local fishermen from going near it.
"Skimmers and oil absorbents are on standby along with the resources of Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL). NMPT has kept boom barriers around the dredger vessel. Help is sought from the ports of Mumbai, Goa and Cochin ports to keep their pollution control equipment ready to combat any situation," informed Ramana.
Speaking to the media, Dr R D Tripati, environmental advisor of Ministry of Shipping said, "In the case of Tridevi Prem dredger vessel, there is no black oil of higher viscosity. Initially I was apprehensive about this fact as this black oil is extremely disastrous for the environment. However, the low-sulphur high-speed diesel or white oil does not cause any damage to the environment as it gets evaporated when it comes in contact with the atmosphere. But we have taken all the necessary measures to face any eventuality."
It may be recalled that Tridevi Prem dredger vessel had got entangled in rough weather on September 1 and the personnel of coast guard and NMPT together had rescued 20 persons from the vessel. The vessel sank the very next day.