News
Tug boat with 22 tonnes of oil runs aground in Mannar; salvage operations underway
View(s):By N. Thayalan
Salvage efforts are underway to remove a barge with a tug boat carrying 22 tonnes of oil that had got into difficulties off the coast of Mannar.
The barge named ‘Atulya’, towed by tug boat ‘Avadh’, had been en-route from The Maldives to India when it drifted to the Nadukuda coast in Mannar on Friday evening, in adverse weather. The barge later ran aground.
The tug boat, consisting of nine crew members, made up of Indians and Indonesians, had suffered mechanical difficulties after its propeller got caught in what is believed to be a discarded fishing net, a senior Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) official told the Sunday Times yesterday.
A MEPA team visited the location yesterday to assess the situation. The MEPA official said the area where the barge had run aground did not have a sensitive ecosystem and they had only observed some physical damage. The tug boat ‘Avadh’ with its 22 tonnes of oil, had dropped anchor some distance away from shore, pending repairs. The tug boat and barge operators had sought permission to remove both vessels by sending other tugs boats. A tug boat had already been dispatched from India to effect repairs to ‘Avadh,’ officials said yesterday. Repairs would be made under the coordination of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at the Navy Headquarters in Colombo.
The Indian MRCC in Chennai had notified the MRCC in Colombo about the mechanical issue on the ‘Avadh’ on Thursday, informing Sri Lankan authorities that the tug boat and its barge were drifting to Sri Lankan waters.
On the instructions of Navy Commander Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, MRCC Colombo informed the incident to the operator of the distressed tug boat. In preparation for a rescue operation, the tug boat’s local agent was also informed to dispatch another tug boat to the area, Sri Lanka Navy personnel said.
Pic by N. Thayalan
The Navy was prepared to provide necessary assistance to the crew of the distressed tug boat, and would remain vigilant to tackle emergencies and provide essential support, they said.
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