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Kolkata, June 25 (IANS) It has been over three months now since a Bangladeshi container ship capsized contained in the Netaji Subhas Docks (NSD) in Kolkata however the risk to salvage it and clear the berth within the close to future appears bleak. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), Kolkata, has already misplaced a number of crores during the last 90-odd-days as it’s unable to make use of the berth.
“The house owners of the vessel have deserted it. It is a authorized subject now. We now have received in contact with the insurers of the ship and different businesses to resolve the difficulty. We will not go forward and salvage the ship. In spite of everything, she just isn’t our property. Underneath the circumstances, solely the insurers can interact salvage businesses to recuperate the vessel and pay us demurrage fees. Such a scenario is unprecedented within the lengthy historical past of the port,” an SMP, Kolkata spokesperson mentioned.
Round 9 a.m. on March 24, MV Marintrust 01 loaded 165 containers at Berth 5 NSD. The gross weight was 3,089 tonnes. The ship was to sail for Chittagong on March 25. Round 10.40 a.m., the ship keeled to Port (left facet) and capsized. The incident took barely quarter-hour. Most containers remained on the vessel whereas just a few sank and others needed to be tethered with ropes to maintain them from floating away. SMP, Kolkata additionally adopted measures to comprise an oil spill if any.
“The port just isn’t concerned with the incident in any method. We’re simply the facilitator. The cargo was loaded by an company underneath the steerage of the ship’s grasp and different crew. If the position of the containers was mistaken, the grasp and the company concerned must share blame. Nevertheless, a radical inquiry will solely be attainable as soon as the vessel is salvaged. All 15 crew members are nonetheless in Kolkata and their statements can be vital as soon as the ship is salvaged,” a port official mentioned.
Bangladesh has been attempting its greatest to get the crew again house however Indian authorities are agency.
“Which will have been attainable had the house owners not deserted the ship. Now, the crew is the one hyperlink. SMP, Kolkata that’s struggling a lack of income every day resulting from blockage of the berth cannot be anticipated to spend a number of crores to salvage the wreck with out being compensated,” an Indian official mentioned.
During the last couple of years, a number of Bangladeshi barges have sunk within the river Hooghly resulting from no discernible trigger. No effort has been made by Bangladesh to salvage the wrecks that environmentalists and river consultants declare are inflicting air pollution and affecting the circulate of water.
–IANS
jayanta/pgh
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