Mumbai:
A high concentration of phosphine gas has been found in the narrow part of the bow of 'MSC Chitra', the cargo vessel which was damaged in a collision off the coast here early this month, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) said on Thursday.
Detection of the colourless, flammable and toxic gas in the forepeak area indicates the possibility of containers carrying aluminium phosphide having fallen in the ship's hold. Experts are expected to arrive tomorrow to attend to the problem and make an action plan for its removal or neutralisation, a DGS statement said.
On account of this, work of righting the vessel has been kept on hold, it said.
Meanwhile, suspected canisters containing pesticide were found at Elephanta Island off Mumbai coast. A team from United Phosphorous is working to identify and ensure that it is safe for clean-up workers, the statement said.
Salvage teams have made a contingency plan to contain possible oil pollution near the vessel at the time of up-righting the ship, the shipping regulator said.
Areas like Elephanta Island, Colaba Navy Nagar, Nhava Island and Awas Beach are high-priority areas for the clean-up work launched to contain the oil spill caused by the August 7 collision between 'Chitra' and another vessel 'Khalijia'.
Besides, there are five areas which are of medium priority where the clean-up action plan includes natural cleaning and some pressure washing, it said.
In 10 other areas, no clean-up is required as natural cleaning has already occurred due to sea wave action, the DGS said.
The movement of offshore supply vessels and mini-bulk carriers in and out of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) ports have been permitted without naval escort. Six boats have been deployed for surveying the port waters, the shipping regulator said.
Additionally, the Navy is carrying out a survey of the navigation channel for ensuring safe transit of the escorted ships. No fresh container has been sighted in the navigation channel, the statement said.
Today, the Navy escorted six vessels out from MbPT and seven from Port Trust (JNPT), while six vessels for MbPT and two for JNPT were piloted in.