Mangaluru: After months it has come to light that the State High Court has ordered the arrest of AV Princess Miral, which sank in the sea near Battappadi in Ullal here in the City.
On the one hand, as the stage is set for the extraction of oil from the ship, the development in the High Court has hindered the District Administration’s efforts.
Monjasa DMCC, a company affiliated to the UAE, had approached the High Court seeking an arrest warrant for the ship with its components such as gear, bunker, machinery, furniture, etc., stating that it had not received about Rs. 1.39 Crore for the supply of ship bunkering oil to it and that it would incur a loss if the ship was arrested till it was received. The High Court last month passed an order directing the New Mangalore Port Authority to arrest the ship. The order mentioned the Admiralty Act 2017. However, according to the NMPA, presently the vessel is not under its purview but is under the old port of the State Government and that the District Administration has to take action in this regard.
The Director General of shipping’s office, which was continuing to clear the ship, and the District Administration is now shocked by this arrest order.
As per the sources of the District Administration said that a letter will be written to the Government stating that if around 200 tonnes of oil on board the ship leaks, it could lead to irreparable loss to the marine environment andbthus request the High Court through government to allow it to clear the oil. Prior to this, a lot of preparations had been made for the removal of oil from the ship and in the past, two firms had said that they would extract the oil in it and were reluctant as there was not enough preparation and technology support too. Now the third firm, Gujarat-based Bansal Endeavour, has been finalised. As the weather was conducive, the DG Shipping and the District Administration for the oil clearance has undertaken underwater survey as preparation.
On June 21 this year, AV Princess Miral was in danger in the Sea at Battappadi in Ullal when a hole appeared on it and the water entered. There were fifteen Syrian sailors aboard at the time who were rescued by the Coast Guards.
Thereafter, as the ship at Battappadi was grounded and three-fourth of it was in a state of sinking without being able to move. The ship it is learnt has 160 tonnes of furnace oil and 60 tonnes of diesel. The ship was carrying 8,000 tonnes of steel coil from China to Lebanon.
