The shipping ministry has decided to hire an emergency towing vessel (ETV) and station it in the Mumbai port limits for faster rescue operation in case of any eventuality. The decision was taken keeping in mind the incidents of ships drifting to Mumbai shores during monsoon last year.
This towing vessel will be operated by experienced personnel, who will tow away ships that drift to the shores in and around Mumbai.
“An ETV will arrive at the city harbour in a few days, and the process is on to hire such a service. Given experience during last year’s monsoon, TVs have become a necessity. We hope that similar incidents do not recur this year,” said Dr Satish B. Agnihotri, director general of shipping.
When asked about the possibilities of similar eventuality occurring at other coasts of India, Dr Agnihotri said, “For this season, the Mumbai harbour will have an ETV. Later, we may employ similar services for other ports of India.”
However, the emergency operations of the ETV stationed in Mumbai will not be limited to the city, but it will also cover other locations on the western coast of the country.
Last year, two merchant vessels had drifted to the shores of Juhu Beach — MV Wisdom and MT Pavit.
The case of MV Wisdom had shocked the maritime and state authorities, as the vessel had steered very close to the iconic Bandra-Worli Sealink, and was stranded for 22 days. MT Pavit had drifted unmanned from the coast of Oman, and was stranded at Juhu beach for 16 days till it was towed away.