The recent sinking of the cargo ship MV Rak Carrier off Mumbai’s coast, and the following oil slick, has brought to the fore, yet again, the huge price that India keeps paying for not being a signatory to many global maritime treaties, which bar polluting and “sea-unworthy” ships from operating in the ports of member-countries.
According to a Coast Guard official close to the matter who didn’t wish to be identified, most shipping companies based usually abroad send their “oldest and dirtiest” ships to Indian ports because that is accepted in India and unacceptable in the US or Australian ports; most of these ships suffer from technical problems and they are allowed to stay anchored in that position for months till technical support arrives.
At least two marine officials said “this practice” is not allowed in any port in western countries or in places such as Singapore where the managing agencies are non-corrupt and very strict.
MV Rak, which was anchored near Mumbai for many days before it sank, was very old and was not sea-worthy, officials say. It is these lax rules that allow such ships to operate on Indian seas and wreak havoc that make Damodar Tandel, a leader of Mumbai’s fishermen association, anxious.
He says, as expected, frequent oil slick will eventually ruin the fishing business in this region; when the collision happened between MV Chitra and MV Khalijia last year, several containers from one of the ships fell into the sea. They were at the bottom of the sea for many months.
To add to it there were some containers with hazardous cargo and they too were lying for many months at the bottom of the sea, he says. Later it was discovered that MV Khalijia had 37 major technical failures and yet it was sailing and operating on Indian seas.
A merchant navy officer says, asking not to be named, that most ships that sink close to the Indian coast or run aground are registered in Panama while the owners of these ships are either European or other companies. This is because in countries like Panama a ship can be registered without any checks and regulations.
Many ships that get old and can’t operate in American or European ports are reregistered in Panama with a new name and are sent to Mumbai or other Indian ports, he adds.
According to a Coast Guard official close to the matter who didn’t wish to be identified, most shipping companies based usually abroad send their “oldest and dirtiest” ships to Indian ports because that is accepted in India and unacceptable in the US or Australian ports; most of these ships suffer from technical problems and they are allowed to stay anchored in that position for months till technical support arrives.
At least two marine officials said “this practice” is not allowed in any port in western countries or in places such as Singapore where the managing agencies are non-corrupt and very strict.
MV Rak, which was anchored near Mumbai for many days before it sank, was very old and was not sea-worthy, officials say. It is these lax rules that allow such ships to operate on Indian seas and wreak havoc that make Damodar Tandel, a leader of Mumbai’s fishermen association, anxious.
He says, as expected, frequent oil slick will eventually ruin the fishing business in this region; when the collision happened between MV Chitra and MV Khalijia last year, several containers from one of the ships fell into the sea. They were at the bottom of the sea for many months.
To add to it there were some containers with hazardous cargo and they too were lying for many months at the bottom of the sea, he says. Later it was discovered that MV Khalijia had 37 major technical failures and yet it was sailing and operating on Indian seas.
A merchant navy officer says, asking not to be named, that most ships that sink close to the Indian coast or run aground are registered in Panama while the owners of these ships are either European or other companies. This is because in countries like Panama a ship can be registered without any checks and regulations.
Many ships that get old and can’t operate in American or European ports are reregistered in Panama with a new name and are sent to Mumbai or other Indian ports, he adds.
(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2024 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)
Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.
(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2024 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)
Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.
Get Unlimited Access to The Economic Times
