IT News
Mumbai, June 10:
A merchant ship “M.T. Basra Star”, which was drifted during recent cyclone “Nisarga” that affected parts of Western India, remains grounded near Mirkarwadi off Ratnagiri coast in Maharashtra since the ship has been stuck in the rocks.
The vessel carrying diesel from the Gulf to Maldives has been stranded near the Indian coast since September 2019 after it encountered a problem with its engine. It was drifted due to cyclonic waves and heavy winds blowing at 120 kmph on June 3, 2020. It was towed up to the inner anchorage at Ratnagiri, close to the beach by officials of the Indian Coast Guard and the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB). However, when it reached the shore it got stuck in the rocks.
As such based on the request of the Regional Port officer of the Maharashtra Maritime Board, marine experts of the Director General of Shipping have reached Ratnagiri to carry out the salvage operations.
The port officer has also obtained the permission of DG Shipping to berth the vessel at Narmada Cement jetty located at Bhagvati Bandar Rd, Bhagwati Fort and Light House in Ratnagiri after the salvage operations are over.
Thirteen crew members on board, who included three foreigners-Sri Lankans, Philippines and Ethiopian and and 10 Indians, have been quarantined at Kuwarbav in Ratnagiri by local administration. One crew member has reported sick.
In the meanwhile the Indian Coast Guard has stated “”#CycloneNisarga Preventive measures and Constant liaison by ICG with #Maharashtra #Goa #Gujarat state administration, Port authorities, merchant ships and fisheries dept resulted in nil loss of life at sea, no major damage to port and oil rigs’ the ICG said.
The Indian Coast Guard had deployed 48 Disaster Relief Teams along western seaboard. They included 13 teams deployed along Maharashtra, Daman & Goa coast. Besides ICG ships were kept stand by for initial assessment, SAR and Relief efforts.
