The Hindu Business Line : Enquiry ordered into collision of dredgers

`The damage caused to the dredger would cost the port dearer as the authorities had not renewed the insurance policy of the vessel that expired on April 30.'

Kochi , Oct. 26

The Cochin Port Trust has ordered an enquiry into the collision of two dredgers, which carried out the maintenance dredging in the port channel on Tuesday.

The incident involving the port dredger, Nehru Shatabdi, and the dredger of Dredging Corporation of India had occurred in the sea 4 nautical miles away from the port area.

However, there was neither any casualty nor environmental pollution due to the spillage of oil.

Work not hit

A senior official in the port said that the maintenance dredging in the channel has also not been affected as DCI had deployed another dredger to carry out the work.

DCI had bagged the contract for maintenance dredging in the port this year and Nehru Shatabdi has been working for the port to carry out routine dredging work for the last eight years.

The front portion of the Nehru Shatabdi was totally damaged in the collision.

The dredger was returning from the sea after depositing silt when it collided with the DCI dredger, as the dredger was on its way to sea to deposit mud and silt dredged from the port channel.

The steel body of the DCI dredger had minor damages.

Meanwhile, a trade union leader alleged that the incident had occurred due to the irresponsible way of handling of dredgers by the crew in both the vessels.

`Irresponsible handling'

He pointed out that Nehru Shatabdi had met with similar accidents within the port limits on earlier occasions.

The damage caused to the dredger would cost the port dearer as the authorities had not renewed the insurance policy of the vessel that expired on April 30, he said.

He pointed out that it is high time to procure a new dredger for the port as it is spending heavily for maintenance dredging work every year. Even though the port trust board had taken a decision to purchase a dredger four years ago, the Ministry had not given any favourable orders in this regard.

Kochi is a huge silting port and there is an urgent need to procure a new dredger considering the amount (Rs 30 crore-35 crore) being spent on yearly basis for the dredging work, he added.

Insurance policy

On the allegation that DCI had not issued the work order by the port to commence the dredging work, the port official said that the Shipping Ministry had entrusted the work to DCI on a nomination basis and the port has no role in it.

He also confirmed that the insurance policy of the dredger was not renewed after its expiry.

Mr P.M. Mohammed Haneef, a trustee in the port trust board, requested the Port Chairman to take action against those responsible for not renewing the insurance policy of the dredger in the stipulated time as the port had to spend several lakhs of rupees towards repairing charges of the dredger.