INDIA – The hulk that was the MV Black Rose continues to leak oil as she lies below the waters off Paradip Harbour. As outlined in the Handy Shipping Guide story last week the Mongolian flagged bulk carrier sank and left exposed a weakness in the subcontinents ability to apportion blame and cost.
Fortunately the majority of the oil carried on board, some 900 tonnes, is held within a double skinned tank which, by latest reports, is still holding up well. The balance is nearly 50 tonnes of diesel which is probably the main pollutant at the moment. The ships main cargo is circa 24,000 tonnes of iron ore.
The 26 surviving crewmen, from Bangladesh, Russia and Ukraine are still held by authorities at a Paradip hotel and have been complaining bitterly that they should be allowed home. Their Ukrainian crewmate whose body was found 10 days after the accident will not be so fortunate.
After prevaricating over who will pay for the clean up a tender was taken up by two Indian and two overseas companies to resolve the pollution problem which threatens the breeding grounds of the rare Ridley Turtle. The winning company is the Florida based Resolve Marine Group, who with offices in California and overseas are well versed in this type of operation.
We are told that the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) based in New Delhi have also been asked to advise with regard to the possibility of using oil consuming micro-organisms to digest any stray oil particles.
