Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Dec 5: Union shipping minister, G K Vasan, wants the early release of the crew of the iron ore carrier, M V Asian Forest that sunk near Tannirbavi near the local port a few months ago. During his visit to the city on Friday December 4, the minister held discussions with the officials of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) on this issue.
The ship, belonging to China, had sunk in the Arabian Sea during July this year. All the 21 Chinese crew members of the ship continue to be retained in the city, by the district administration. The district deputy commissioner has already clarified that the crew would not be released till the oil in the sunken ship is removed. As the owners of the ship have not taken any initiative to remove oil from the ship, after their initial attempts failed due to inclement weather, the staff of the ship has remained the guests of the district administration till now.
The minister explained during his discussions, that continued retention of the crew might adversely affect the country’s relationship with China. Sources revealed that he asked the NMPT officials to make efforts to get the staff released, to stop the relationship between the countries getting hurt. The officials in turn, explained to the minister, that this situation has arisen because of the lack of interest on the part of the ship owners to remove oil from the sunken ship, and that if the crew is released at this juncture, the authorities will be left powerless to exert pressure on the ship company to remove oil, leakage of which will result in a huge environmental hazard in the region.
The minister is understood to have told them to at least get the lower level staff like cleaners and cooks released as a first step, by placing the matter before the state government secretary urgently. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the minister said that there is no risk of any oil leakage from the said ship for now. The ship owners have already obtained technical report from the Japanese experts about the removal of oil from the ship, and the work to pump out oil will begin soon, he added.
The minister then visited and inspected various development activities in NMPT. NMPT chairman, Tamailvanan, provided the minister with details of different activities at the port. The minister in the meanwhile, suggested to the port officials, to look for other avenues to augment the income of the port, as the port’s revenue has suffered because of the ban on movement of ore trucks.