Dredger ‘Bhagavati Prem’, that was beached near Surathkal, has begun listing leaving residents apprehensive over a possible oil spill from the submerged dredger.
The 114 metre-long and 21 metre-wide dredger with a deadweight of 9,492 tonnes and a draft of 7 metres, was beached at the Surathkal
coast in October by NMPT after the vessel witnessed flooding following damage to the hull. The dredger, belonging to M/s Mercator, was brought for dredging in the port area. However, the NMPT had terminated the contract with M/s Mercator for dredging the Port
and asked the company to remove the dredger from the Port area.
Before it was removed from the port area, the dredger developed flooding and the NMPT had to initiate measures to the beach it.
The NMPT had served notices to the Mercator to clear the dredger. However, no action had been initiated to clear it.
Members of Mogaveera Sanghatane have already urged the elected representatives and the state government to initiate measures to shift the dredger. So far, no action has been initiated.
Former deputy mayor Purushotham Chitrapura in a Facebook post said, “There is a threat of oil leakage from the dredger. The process of auctioning the vessel, following its owner M/s Mercator’s failure to remove it, is yet to commence. The NMPT should hold a meeting with the members of Mogaveera Sangha before the situation goes out of control at the earliest.”
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