Mangaluru: Six months after the sinking of a Chinese Boat off the Coast of Someshwara Uchila, the oil clearance process has begun.
About 220 tonnes of oil is being cleared from the cargo ship, which was carrying 8,000 tonnes of steel coils from China to Lebanon. On June 21, 2022, the Princess Miral, sank near Battapadi in Ullal. Currently, the oil clearance contract has been awarded to Gujarat-based Bansal Endeavours. It contains 220 tonnes of oil, that includes160 tonnes of furnace oil and 60 tonnes of diesel. After installing a hose pipe, pulling out the oil through a vacuum pump has begun.
The District Administration said that the oil will be fully transferred through a bunker barge of 320 tonne capacity and brought to the old port.
In October, a UAE -based company named Monjasa DMCC had approached the High Court stating that it had not received the amount of USD 1,71,301 (about Rs 1.39 Crore) due for ship bunkering work. It had requested that the ship be put on hold till it arrived. The District Administration suffered a setback as it was recognised by the High Court. Later, the District Administration approached the High Court seeking removal of oil due to environmental pollution.
Now, with the High Court’s permission to clear the oil, oil clearance has started.
A no-objection certificate (NOC) has been obtained from the Pollution Control Board, Police Department and Coast Guards for the 15-day-long oil clearance drive.
