Wait gets longer for Pratibha Cauvery salvage

Chennai:

Uncertainty looms large over when and where the stranded ship MT Pratibha Cauvery will be towed even as port officials assure the vessel is likely to be towed away from the Chennai beach on Thursday or Friday

Officials told Express that the ship, which was washed ashore during Cyclone Nilam last week is likely to be tugged away around Thursday or Friday. This comes after port officials earlier stated that the stranded vessel near Pattinapakkam beach would be towed on Tuesday morning after Malviya 21, a 133 tonne Bollard Pull, arrived at Chennai Port on Monday evening.

However, Malviya 21 did leave the port around 8.00 am to outer anchorage. Port sources claim that the ship was anchored outside Chennai port to avoid the daily berthing charges. It is also believed that the ship could not be towed on Tuesday as Madras High Court will be hearing the writ petition filed by Sankara Narayanan, the brother of sailor Anand Mohandoss, who died along with five other crew members after a 22-members crew took a lifeboat which allegedly was not in a working condition,

The court had earlier passed interim order to detain the oil tanker Pratibha Cauvery, which ran aground off the city coast during Cyclone Nilam. Port officials said the biggest problem is no one knows where the ship is headed to and they are awaiting the court decision. Interestingly, the port has VD1, VD2 and VD3, which are active areas. Port officials said the company would be unable to meet the berthing charges as it will cost more than the ship. As such till now there is uncertainty on where the ship will be anchored.

Meanwhile, the captain of M T Pratibha, Mercantile Marine Department officials, police personnel inspected the ship. Sources said a safety check was also conducted in the ship to check on how to start the engine of the ship besides to ensure whether the oil resource tank in the ship was intact.