VEERA PREM

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Latest news

Grounded dredger causes concerns

Officials were concerned that the 'Verena Prem' which has been grounded near Karaikal will be damaged by Cyclone Nivar. Most oil stored in the vessel, grounded near TR Pattinam Pattinachery in Karaikal when Gaja made landfall on Nov 16, 2018, was removed. However, some residual oil remained in the engines which could not be drained. The ropes used to moor the vessel could become untethered during the new cyclone. Fishers and locals were instructed to stay clear of the vessel. There was still a lot of heavy machinery on the vessel, including rearward extending suction pipes, dredging pumps, transportation tubes, overflow channels and degassing installation. They were yet to be dismantled from the ship which is no longer seaworthy. Talks were going on to salvage the ship around December 2018. But the work did not take off. The vessel's owner and the insurer could not come up with the required documents before the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee and Coastal Zone Management Authority. The grounded ship is already causing sea erosion and sand heaping near our shore. The administration was requested to salvage the vessel as soon as possible after the cyclone.

Hopper dredger grounded by cyclone

The "Veera Prem" was grounded in the cyclone Gaja in the morning of Nov 16, 2018, in Thirupattinam at the coast of Nagapattinam in the Tamil Nadi State in the Bay of Bengal. the mercantile Marine department authorities in Chennai and The Coastguard in Nagapattinam has immediately been instructed to recover the vessel and analyse the damages and spills if any. On Nov 17 it was still stuck in pos. 10° 51.62' N 079° 51.22' E.