MUMBAI: Salvage workers' effort to haul away MV Wisdom off Juhu beach to an anchorage point along the south Mumbai coast failed on Friday. If another attempt, to be taken on Saturday, turns out to be futile, the cargo vessel will remain at the same spot for another fortnight, causing environment fears.
"The salvage workers failed to tie the messenger rope to the tug vessel as a result of which the operation could not be carried out today," said director general of shipping S B Agnihotri, adding that things had not yet gone out of control and another attempt, this time hopefully a successful one, would be taken on Saturday. A tug vessel ties messenger ropes, which runs parallel to steel cables, to an abandoned ship to haul it away.
Agnihotri also defended the workers, who belonged to SMIT Salvaging Firm, one of the best in the business, saying they failed as they did not get enough time to lay down a proper plan. "It is not an easy job as such a task requires time to draw a comprehensive plan. Rehearsals are also required before the operation is actually executed. However, those were not possible as the ship had to be taken off Juhu beach at the earliest," Agnihotri added.
Saturday will be a crucial day for the salvage operation, failing of which will leave the cargo vessel off the Juhu beach for at least another fortnight. Ketan Gajra of Vishwakarma Mechanical Works, the service provider for SMIT Salvage, said, "We will have no other option but to halt the work for at least two weeks as the next high tide that will raise the water to the required level will not come till then."
MV Wisdom, which weighs 9,000 Deadweight tonnage, went adrift on June 11 and floated dangerously close to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. From there, the vessel sailed to Juhu beach. The accident occurred when the ship, the owner of which is believed to be in Greece , was being taken to Alang shipbreaking yard from Colombo
Source: The Times of India
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