Govt procures plans from Japan to estimate scrap
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Utter confusion over the exact weight of the River Princess and varied estimates given by so called professional bodies has created intense uncertainty over the exact quantum of wreckage lying underwater at Candolim beach. With the Goa government finally procuring the original plans and structural drawings of the transhipper, from Japan, there is hope that the exact weight of the vessel vis-a-vis the quantum of scrap removed will be known.
The Goa government made a request to the general manager, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), Japan, to provide original construction plans of the vessel such as general arrangement, mid-ship section, long section etc to estimate the remaining portion of the River Princess wreckage, which devastated the Candolim shore.
The drawings were later procured from Hitachi Shipbuilding & Engg, Innoshima, Japan who provided the same after copious correspondence between Goa and Japan.
“The said drawings are submitted to Goa Shipyard Ltd, Vasco for studying the details of the vessel,” said a Tourism department official.
The River Princess ran aground off the Candolim coast, and government took over the salvaging operations when it began destroying the coastline. Till date no investigation has been undertaken, to nail the culprits and how the ship was allowed to run aground and whether the use of tax payers money for clearing the wreckage was justified.
Officials in the Tourism Department on Tuesday disclosed that the documents containing the original drawings of the vessel have been submitted to the Goa Shipyard Limited which will ascertain the actual tonnage of the vessel from the structural designs and will furnish a report within the next one week.
“Getting the original drawings from Japan is a major breakthrough for us and will throw light on issues over the weight of the vessel and other related matters and solve the controversy surrounding this issue,” said a Tourism Ministry official.
It is learnt that the exercise for obtaining the original drawings and plans of the M V River Princess began in December 2012 with the monitoring committee deciding to approach the Directorate General of Shipping, Mercantile Marine Department, Headland Sada for obtaining the original construction plans of the vessel so as to verify the exact amount of wreckage which still lies below the surface.
It was also decided that the services of Goa Shipyard Ltd, Vasco be sought for estimating the debris tonnage which is lying at the sea bed and monitor the entire process of cutting and retrieving the remaining wreckage.
The Directorate General of Shipping, Mercantile Marine Department, according to reports, informed the Tourism Ministry that the original construction plans of the M V River Princess were not available in the records of their office. Likewise Goa Shipyard Ltd, sought more information on the present status of the vessel, survey reports, details from the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), and structural drawings and other relevant information to help them to study details of the vessel.
Meanwhile tenders have also been invited from firms, to unload the scarp material of MV River Princess from the barges, through the jetty and to cut the same for final disposal of scrap lying below the water surface.
The process of re-obtaining the required permissions from the concerned authorities for the removal of the vessel is on, according to reports.
Tons of confusion
Registered weight as per the Permanent Certificate Registry- 18,729 tonnes
Estimated weight as per surveys conducted in Nov 2000 and Sept 2005 —19,361 tonnes
Weight estimated by Coast Guard and Director General of Shipping – 19,380 tonnes.
Weight estimated by Ericson and Richards (February 2010) — 11,325 tonnes
Weight estimated by Experts based on length (261 metres) and width (40-plus metres), summer draft (15.69 metres) and DWT (1,14,645 tonnes) of vessel — 34,000 tonnes
