Indian Coast Guard monitoring oil spill from cargo ship that sunk

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 26, 2022: Indian Coast Guard has continued to monitor the situation around the grounded merchant ship MV Princess Miral of New Mangalore for any probable leakage of oil from the ship. The ship had sunk two days ago. The State administration along with other stakeholders is also coordinating for shore line cleanup in case of any oil spill.Constant surveillance has been undertaken by Coast Guard aircraft and ships in the area around the vessel and onshore for pollution response since June 21.

A fully equipped Pollution Control Vessel, ICGS Samudra Pavak from Porbandar, arrived on Saturday morning off New Mangalore and joined the Pollution Response operation at sea along with ICG ships and aircraft.

As on date, 9 ships of Coast Guard and resource agencies, 3 Coast Guard aircraft are on task for assessment and monitoring the sea area of New Mangalore. These assets are continuing the necessary preventive measures.

Netravati river is in close proximity of the vessel which is grounded close to shore. Therefore as a precautionary measure, the river mouth has been barricaded from the seawards side using inflatable booms so as to prevent containment of the river in case of any leakage of oil from the ship.

Coast Guard Pollution Response team and experts are continuously analysing the situation and also assisting State Administration and New Mangalore Port Authorities by conducting Pollution Response and shore line cleanup training sessions and mock drills.

Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner K V Rajendra said that a preliminary survey is being conducted by a private agent Smit International, Singapore, to decide on how to defuel the vessel, and undertake the salvage operations of the sunken vessel, foreign flagship MV Princess Miral, which ran aground off New Mangalore, near the Battapadi shore on Tuesday.