New Delhi: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India has set up a high level committee to enquire into the sequence of events leading to the stranding of ONGC vessels in the cyclone “Tauktae”. Several vessels of ONGC with more than 600 people on board, were stranded in offshore areas during cyclone “Tauktae”. The stranding, drifting and subsequent events have led to loss of several lives.
The committee, comprising of Amitabh Kumar, Director General of Shipping, S.C.L. Das, Director General of Hydrocarbons, and Nazli Jafri Shayin, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence, has been constituted to inquire into the incidents. The Committee may co-opt any other member, and take assistance of any person it deems necessary.The Committee shall submit its report within one month.
The Terms of Reference of the Committee are:
- To Inquire into the sequence of events leading to the stranding and drifting of these vessels, and subsequent events.
- Whether the warnings issued by Meteorological Department and other statutory authorities were adequately considered and acted upon.
- Whether the Standard Operating Procedures for securing the vessels and dealing with disaster management were adequately followed.
- Lapses and gaps in the systems leading to the stranding and drifting of the vessels.
- Recommendations to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
Meanwhile, Indian Navy continued with Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations and its SAR operations off Mumbai and Gujarat for the third day today.
As of now, 186 crew members of Accommodation barge P-305, and two from Tug ‘Varapradha’ have been rescued by IN ships and aircraft and 26 mortal remains recovered.
“Indian Naval ships and aircraft are presently undertaking SAR of the missing crew members of Accommodation Barge P-305, which sank on 17th May, 35 miles off Mumbai,” the Defence Ministry stated.
INS Kochi, Kolkata, Beas, Betwa, Teg, P8I maritime surveillance aircraft, Chetak and Seaking helicopters are involved in the SAR operations.
INS Kochi which entered harbour on May 19, to disembark 125 survivors and mortal remains of four crew members, was immediately sailed out in the evening again to continue the search effort. INS Kolkata was scheduled to enter Mumbai harbour on May 19 night to disembark the survivors rescued from barge P-305 and Tug ‘Varapradha’ as well as the mortal remains of 18 crew members recovered during the operation.
On completion of its operations off Gujarat coast, INS Talwar has also been diverted to conjoin the other three naval ships searching for missing crew of barge P-305, off Mumbai. As informed earlier, INS Talwar was the ‘On Scene Coordinator’ off Gujarat coast and assisted Support Station 3 and Drill Ship Sagar Bhushan, which are now being safely towed back to Mumbai by ONGC support vessels. Food and water to the 300 odd crew members of these vessels was also provided by the naval helicopters from Mumbai, earlier in the day.
– global bihari bureau
