ICG taking out diesel from ship to avert sea pollution

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) began today the task of taking out diesel from a merchant vessel that ran aground near the Porbandar coast to avert any possible oil spillage into the Arabian Sea.

MV Henry, a Panamanian ship that was apprehended by the ICG around a year ago with 1,500 kg of heroin worth around Rs 3,500 crore, was yesterday temporarily shifted to an inner anchorage at the Porbandar coast to make way for an inbound vessel, a defence release said.

It drifted due to snapping of its anchor cable and ran aground outside the Porbandar harbour, around 400km from here, it said.

Since the ship carried around 230 kilo litre of high- speed diesel on-board, there was apprehension of oil spillage which could have caused sea pollution, necessitating the defuelling exercise, the release said.

"Though this vessel did not pose any threat to the navigational safety, the potent threat of oil pollution continued to loom over the pristine coast of Gujarat as it houses about 230 kilolitre of high-speed diesel on-board," the ICG said.

"The defuelling arrangements are being undertaken by winching down Coast Guard personnel and equipment," it said, adding while the ship poses no immediate threat, the diesel defuelling exercise was was undertaken to ensure safety of the coast and marine ecosystem.

"The prompt actions have averted the threat of marine pollution in the area as there are no signs of spillage in the immediate vicinity," the release further said.

The ship has been auctioned to a company, Khodiyar Trading, in Porbandar after completing due judicial processes, it said.

The release also said the ICG is in the process of establishing a Pollution Response Team at Vadinar (a small coastal town in Devbhoomi Dwarka district) to respond to all such eventualities on the Saurashtra coast and gulfs in Gujarat.