The director general of shipping on Sunday said that the towing rope snapping or an inappropriate tug being used could possibly be the reason for Merchant Vessel (MV) Wisdom drifting to Juhu Beach on Saturday night.
“Prima facie, the possible reasons for the ship breaking away from its tug and drifting to Mumbai are that the ropes being used to tow gave way, or the tug that was used was of inappropriate capacity for the ship,” said Satish B. Agnihotri, director general of shipping.
On Saturday afternoon, MV Seabulk Plover was towing the unmanned MV Wisdom from Colombo to one of the ship breaking yards in Alang, Gujarat, when the ship broke away, drifting to reach Mumbai. In between, there were also fears that it might collide with the Bandra Worli Sealink, but fortunately that did not happen.
According to the official, no oil or any sort of cargo is inside the vessel, therefore, the possibility of pollution or spillage is negated.
An enquiry has been initiated too and is expected to be complete within a week. Only then the exact cause of the incident would be clear.
“A notice has been sent to the owners informing them about what has occurred and asked them to tow it away in the coming four to five days. We do not want a repetition of what happened in Goa, where the ship has been lying for over a decade now. We want a quick solution,” added Mr Agnihotri.
The authorities believe that as the ship has not got stuck on rocks and the seabed is of sand, it would be relatively easier to refloat the ship. For this purpose, the owners have been informed to hire professional salvers, as it would be a lot easier for them to refloat the ill-fated ship. Picnickers on Sunday, however, got a surprise when they visited Juhu Beach when they saw the rogue ship aground right in front of them.