A team of officials from a local shipping company yesterday successfully raised a fuel boat that sank in the Demerara River, close to Providence, on Friday afternoon.
The vessel Mother Ganga, which according to reports is registered to a West Demerara businessman, was successfully pulled up from the river bed, approximately 300 metres from the river bank, around lunchtime yesterday. The captain and two crewmen who reportedly escaped the sinking vessel last week were on hand to witness the vessel being raised yesterday.
The men would not comment on the incident when approached and only stated that the vessel’s owner is currently overseas. This newspaper understands that efforts to raise the vessel began round daybreak yesterday, when a pontoon, which was being supported by a tug, arrived in the vicinity of the area where Mother Ganga sank.
As operations began, the team on site was able to connect several cables to the sunken vessel, which slowly was raised to the water surface by an excavator. When this newspaper arrived on the scene around lunchtime yesterday, the vessel was hooked up to the pontoon and was being prepared to be moved from the area.
The area in the vicinity of the incident reeked of fuel. When contacted yesterday, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr Indarjit Ramdass said through his secretary that the matter was being investigated. No further comment was offered.
Meanwhile, local environmental advocate body the Environmental Community Health Organization (ECHO), in a statement, expressed concern about the situation, while noting that vessel sunk with 200,000 gallons of diesel.
ECHO stated that the incident brings to the fore certain pertinent questions, including the standard operational procedures involved in transporting fuel and toxic substances through the rivers and waterways; sanctions against those responsible; as well as whether there are mechanisms available to recover the fuel and compensate those affected.
According to ECHO, “it is a well-established fact, that such situations have a negative impact on our precious and valuable marine environment.” It added that fish and wildlife will feel the brunt of the incident.
As regards companies involved in the transportation of fuel on the waterways, ECHO urged those involved to exercise more care and to put measures in place to prevent a reoccurrence. The body added that the companies should practice proper equipment and vessel maintenance, have adequate staffing as well as internal and independent auditing of practices within the agencies and a focus on prevention.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported over the weekend that the captain of Mother Ganga had reported the while the vessel was being loaded close to a terminal in the vicinity of the Texaco Oil base at Providence, it began to sink. The captain, according to GINA, “cast off in an attempt to seek assistance at a nearby facility and sank adjacent to the said facility.”
Efforts were made to recover the boat on Saturday as well as on Sunday but a more powerful tug to move it from the river bed could not be sourced.
