High tide stymies salvage of ferry, fresh attempt today
Panaji:
The ferryboat called Betim, which capsized near Chorao on June 23, continued to remain under water on Friday despite day-long salvage efforts by the river navigation department (RND).
A team of 15 RND staff, assisted by a professional diver and a special salvager crane, worked through the day but were unable to lift the vessel. The high tide was cited as the primary hurdle.
'We have reached the final stages of the salvage operation. There is a high tide which is hindering us,' RND director Vikram Raje Bhosale told
TOI
. 'Once we are able to pull out even half of the ferryboat, we will be able to salvage it completely.'
Preliminary investigations suggest the vessel sank due to rainwater accumulating in the tanks, which were not drained. Bhosale said the responsibility for this lapse lies with the coxswain, who failed to conduct the required checks and drain the tanks in time.
On Thursday, pontoons were hired to aid the salvage, but shallow waters along the riverbank made it impossible to accommodate them, forcing the department to switch strategies.
'This is a learning experience for us as well. We are sure about extricating the vessel on Saturday morning,' Bhosale said.
The accident has raised concerns over routine safety checks and operational accountability within the department, with calls from RND minister Subhash Phal Dessai for stricter protocols to avoid similar occurrences in future. He visited the site on the day the ferryboat sank.
'Such accidents should not lead to a calamity in future. A safety and structural audit of all ferries will be done,' Phal Dessai said.
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Time of India
a day ago
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High tide stymies salvage of ferry, fresh attempt today
Panaji: The ferryboat called Betim, which capsized near Chorao on June 23, continued to remain under water on Friday despite day-long salvage efforts by the river navigation department (RND). A team of 15 RND staff, assisted by a professional diver and a special salvager crane, worked through the day but were unable to lift the vessel. The high tide was cited as the primary hurdle. 'We have reached the final stages of the salvage operation. There is a high tide which is hindering us,' RND director Vikram Raje Bhosale told TOI . 'Once we are able to pull out even half of the ferryboat, we will be able to salvage it completely.' Preliminary investigations suggest the vessel sank due to rainwater accumulating in the tanks, which were not drained. Bhosale said the responsibility for this lapse lies with the coxswain, who failed to conduct the required checks and drain the tanks in time. On Thursday, pontoons were hired to aid the salvage, but shallow waters along the riverbank made it impossible to accommodate them, forcing the department to switch strategies. 'This is a learning experience for us as well. We are sure about extricating the vessel on Saturday morning,' Bhosale said. The accident has raised concerns over routine safety checks and operational accountability within the department, with calls from RND minister Subhash Phal Dessai for stricter protocols to avoid similar occurrences in future. He visited the site on the day the ferryboat sank. 'Such accidents should not lead to a calamity in future. A safety and structural audit of all ferries will be done,' Phal Dessai said.
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