PANJIM/CALANGUTE: The Tourism Department has sent a written communiqué to the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to carry out underwater inspection to confirm salvage firm Arihant’s claim that it has completely removed the underwater wreckage of the transhipper River Princess which ran aground at Candolim beach.
“The NIO will certify whether the work is complete, based on underwater survey and submit a report to us. The matter will then be examined…” Director Ameya Abhyankar told Herald.
The Mumbai-based Arihant Ship Breakers has claimed that it has completed removed the remnants of the submerged wreckage of M V River Princess on Monday.
The Company’s chairman Sanjiv Jain confirmed this saying the government is free to conduct an inspection before the release of payment to them. “We had a difficult time (to carry out the task of removal of the ship remains)…The people of Goa faced enough trouble because of the grounding of the (ore carrying) vessel at Candolim. The beach is cleared of the debris,” he told media.
Addressing media in Candolim, Sanjeev Jain also said: “We are happy that the last remains of the shipwreck River Princess were finally removed. We managed to remove the shipwreck within the contract period extended to us. We thank the State government and people of Candolim for their support and co-operation.”
Fermino Fernandes, Chairman of River Princess Hatao Manch, thanked the company for removing of the River Princess wreckage and the State government for their support and co-operation. The villagers of Candolim, River Princess Hatao Manch members including Dr Roshan Nazareth and officials of Arihant Shipping were also present.
The residents conducted a small prayer service on the beach after the confirmation on Monday morning. Fernandes said they are content that the ‘trouble’ has finally ended. “The ship had caused immense problem to locals, affecting the tidal flow and the beach and hindering local businesses. We are happy the wreckage has been removed,” he said.
A month ago the monitoring committee had given permission to Arihant to begin work of removing the remaining wreckage. The government had ensured the work will be monitored by Goa Shipyard Ltd and said the payment would be released only after NIO submits its inspection report and confirms that every bit of the wreckage was removed.
Arihant had won the Rs 100 crore contract in 2011 to cut the grounded vessel off Candolim coast and remove the debris within 180 days. The company submitted a completion report in May 2013
but NIO’s survey found large remnants still lying under
the water.
