Following reports of minor oil spills, a five-member team of the central shipping ministry Saturday reached Paradip port and inspected the ship that sank off its coast earlier last month.
The team includes P.V.K Mohan, director general of shipping, and Srinivas Nair, director general of port operations.
The decision to dispatch the team of experts was taken by the shipping ministry after Paradip Port authorities sought its intervention following reports of oil spill from the ship that could pose a danger to marine life.
MV Black Rose, a Mongolian registered vessel, sank Sep 9 with 924 tonnes of furnace oil on board. The port authorities have said 900 tonnes of the oil -- in semi-solid state -- is still inside the ship, but there have been small spills. Pollution control authorities have reported patches of oil on the coast three to four kilometres away.
Apart from the 924 tonnes of furnace oil, the sunken ship was carrying about 25,000 tonnes of iron ore fines. Twenty seven crew members were on board. All but a Ukrainian engineer, whose body was found 10 days later, were rescued.
The Paradip Port Trust has not been able to retrieve the oil and has invited bids to pump out oil from the ship. The Wildlife Society of Orissa has expressed concern that delay in removing the oil could harm the breeding ground of Olive Ridley turtles nearby.
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