Operation to salvage Pratibha Cauvery will begin on Tuesday

Chennai:

The operation to salvage chemical tanker M T Pratibha Cauvery will start from Tuesday morning after Malviya 21, a 133 tonne Bollard Pull, arrived at Chennai Port on Monday evening.

Port officials said the bollard pull which started from Kakinada at around 3pm on Sunday evening reached the port around 4pm to 4.30 pm and is berthed at Port. It will begin the salvage operations at around 8 am to 8.30 am.

The ship, manufactured in Mumbai by Great Offshore Limited in 2005, has a 26-member crew and it is expected that Malviya 21 would be able to tug Pratibha Cauvery.

Port officials said in the morning, it would be known whether Malviya 21 will be able to tug M T Pratibha. Incase, it fails then another ship SCI Ratna is expected to tow the vessel.

Meanwhile, the SMIT Salvage, which has global expertise in salvaging operation, surveyed the ship and have charted out plans to tow the ship, including the equipment to be used. Port sources said Pratibha Shipping Company has signed Lloyds Open Form, an agreement for SMIT Salvagers.

Meanwhile, Port officials said a coordination committee meeting was held onboard the ship. It was attended by Director general shipping, port officials and Coastguard. This comes in the wake of Voice data recorder being recovered from the vessel.

Pratibha Warna:

Meanwhile, the crew of stranded ship M T Pratibha Varna has asked for water and the port officials have sought bank guarantee from the owners before supplying them with 100 tonnes of fresh water.  “Their present requirement as of now is water,” the port official said. The crew is also expected to get several cans of water from the other sources.