Visakhapatnam: The operation to retrieve sunken boats at Vizag fishing harbour, submerged in a fire incident on November 19, has proven to be a costly affair. Despite efforts, 14 boats are yet to be recovered out of the total 29 that sank.
A team of 15 divers and two substantial cranes, boasting capacities of 100 tonnes and 40 tonnes, are tirelessly working to extract the boats from the seawater. The meticulous recovery process is expected to extend for more than 10 to 15 days.
Joint Director of the Fisheries Department, Sheikh Lal Mohamud, shared insights into the financial aspect of the operation, revealing that an expenditure of 18 to 20 lakh rupees has been incurred for the recovery and cleaning of the sunken boats at the zero jetty. Notably, 15 boats have already been retrieved and dismantled, with their iron spares earmarked for sale as scrap, while the wood fibre remains non-recyclable.
To retrieve the remaining 14 sunken boats, a 100-tonne capacity crane and a medium-sized 40-tonne capacity crane are deployed at the Zero Jetty. Flexible fibre ropes, chosen for their flexibility, replace steel ropes in the salvage operation. However, workers are encountering challenges as these fibre ropes sometimes snap during the extraction process.
Upon successful retrieval, the salvaged boats are relocated from Zero Jetty to 11 Number Jetty. The Fisheries Department then initiates an identification process, inviting boat owners to claim specific parts of their boats. Despite the hurdles, the recovery mission remains in full swing as the team perseveres in bringing the remaining sunken boats back to the surface.
