Worried at the slow pace of salvage work off the Mumbai coast after the recent oil spill, the shipping ministry has asked the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai port authorities to get more resources for the job.
Of the 293 containers that had spilt, post the collision between the MSC Chitra and the Khailijia, only 98 have been recovered. The rest are spread over the sea channel, making the area non-navigable for vessels.
“Our focus right now is to make the channel navigable,” said a senior official in the shipping ministry. About 15 vessels are waiting to sail at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Navi Mumbai) and at Mumbai. K Mohandas, shipping secretary, would be talking to both port authorities.
Earlier, the government had estimated the channel would be made navigable by August 14. “Presently, ships are being escorted by the navy. It is still not absolutely safe for vessels to venture into the waters,” said the official.