The Hindu : National : No threat of marine pollution: Coast Guard

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Monday, Jul 02, 2007
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No threat of marine pollution: Coast Guard

John and Martin

Shipwreck will not affect ship movement

— Photo: H. Vibhu

Last moments: The Albanian ship, m.v. Maria S, carrying steel billets and trucks, that sank off the Kochi coast on Saturday.

Kochi: The Coast Guard has ruled out the possibility of oil spillage from the vessel m.v. Maria S, which sank off the Kochi coast on Saturday evening.

Inspector General and Commandant (West) of the Coast Guard, A. Rajasekhar said that helicopters conducted sorties to the site on Sunday. “There is no cause for alarm. Any discolouration of the waters around the area could be due to the slush coming out from site,” he said.

He added that minor spillage of fuel or oil will not affect marine resources since it will disintegrate in the rough seas during the monsoon. “The wreck does not pose a threat to merchant vessels and ships operated by the Coast Guard and the Navy, since it is located well away from the shipping channel.”

Mr. Rajasekhar said the first of the three specialised vessels ordered by the Coast Guard for pollution control duties would be commissioned later this year. Coast Guard has the mandate to respond first to oil or chemical spillage from marine accidents.

An officer of the Indian Navy said that Saturday’s ship wreck, located about five nautical miles off Kochi, would be marked on the chart referred to by incoming and outgoing ships to ensure safety.

The western seaboard of the country has become vulnerable to marine pollution because of increased oil tanker and container ship traffic.

The team from Cochin Port Trust that swung into action to rescue the 15-member crew from the Albanian ship took a bold step to prevent the congestion of the shipping channel that served both Cochin Port Trust and the Indian Navy.

Captain C. P. Jerry who took out the two tugs — Bali and Blawan, to the rescue act, boarded the sinking vessel to assess the situation before he and his team guided the vessel about 500 metres off the main s hipping channel.

He said that the sinking vessel was moving at 5 knots and it was just entering the Port waters without seeking permission when the Port team met it.

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