PPT to float tender to pump out oil from sunken vessel

Worried over non-disposal of fuel oil from the sunken Mongolian vessel "Black Rose", the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) is all set to float a tender on pumping out 924 tons of furnace oil on board, official sources said. "We will float a tender tonight or tomorrow morning seeking bid from experts for safe release of oil from the sinking ship," PPT’’s Deputy Chairman Biplab Kumar told PTI claiming that there was no oil spill from the vessel.

The PPT authorities were also consulting experts to initiate legal action against the ship owner who allegedly did not cooperate on safe disposal of oil from the sinking vessel, they said. The cargo ship, which sank off the Paradip coast on September 9 killing one person, continues to remain inside water about 5 km from the coast.

Replying to a question on alleged delay in initiating steps to pump out oil from the ship, Kumar said: "It was responsibility of the ship owner to evacuate oil. But the Singapore based ship owner is yet to turn up.

" Though the PPT authorities admitted oil patches on the sea shore, it denied any oil spill from the Black Rose. Experts of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) also claimed that there was no oil spill from Black Rose.

...