MV Wisdom salvage operations called off for today

Mumbai:  For the second day in a row, attempts to salvage the 9000-ton cargo ship, MV Wisdom, from the Juhu Beach have failed.

Sources say the operations were called off after the vessel did not respond as expected. Salvage operations will begin again tomorrow.

Salvage operations began early last morning with naval helicopters dropping rope, cables and other equipment to the MV Wisdom, which is to be towed to the Alang shipyard in Gujarat for dismantling.

The rope was attached to a cable on board MV Wisdom; the messenger rope was meant to carry the cable between the two vessels. But as a result of the tide the tug went over the messenger rope and it snapped.

A crew on board the Wisdom was hoping that the high tide on Friday afternoon would make the massive ship float, which could make the attempt to tow it away considerably easier. 

"The ship needs the highest tide so that it can be afloat. So, it's only when the ship is floating, the rope is connected and the tug is pulling, then the three things come together. We hope to see it happen tomorrow," Satish Agnihotri, Director General, Shipping, said on Friday.

With the salvage delayed, the bigger concerns are about what could happen if the 9000 tonne ship cannot be removed for a long time?

Would it impact wave patterns and the shoreline, like the grounded River Princess did in Goa?

Environmentalists and the DG shipping say that MV Wisdom does not pose an immediate environmental threat to Juhu Beach in the next month or two unless the ship breaks down.

"When the ship breaks up, what is actually going to happen is there is going to be some residual fuel. And since the monsoon is considered as the breeding ground of marine life and fish, it is actually the worse time of the year," said Debi Goenka, an activist from the Conservation Action Trust.

Mr Agnihotri, however, said that because there is no oil or cargo on the Wisdom, it does not currently pose environmental risks. However, he did state that if the Wisdom is not towed away during tomorrow's high tide, the operation may have to be suspended for a fortnight - till the next high tide.

Experts hope MV Wisdom leaves Mumbai's shores soon before this tourist delight turns into an eyesore.