River Princess may stay stuck for most of 2006 NT Staff Reporter Panaji Jan 31: With the government yet to float tenders for removal of River Princess, the ill-fated vessel lying grounded off Candolim beach since June 2000, would continue to at its 'resting place' at least till the end of September this year. Dr Wilfred de Souza, the Deputy Chief Minister who is also the state Tourism Minister, told The Navhind Times that it was unlikely that the vessel could be removed before the onset of monsoon, which is just four months away. He said the state government has already drawn up the tender document as per the guidelines given by the expert committee appointed by the Union shipping ministry and the advertisement calling for bids would be released any moment. Dr de Souza further said the expert committee which consisted of the Vishakhapatnam-based director general of shipping (design and research), representatives of Shipping Corporation of India and Salvagers committee of the country, has in preliminary and final reports ruled out that the vessel could break if it remained at its grounded location for another monsoon.
The Tourism Minister said that pumping out 30,000 tonnes of sand accumulated in the vessel and floating it to tow it away would take considerable time and it was unlikely that it could be done before monsoon. He also said that some salvagers had shown interest in removing the vessel but the government has told them to keep their bids to themselves and participate in the bidding as and when the government advertised the tender. The work on removal could begin only after the monsoon season ends in September, said Dr de Souza adding that the government would meanwhile complete the tender process and award the work for removal of the vessel in the interim period. The ill-fated vessel has been lying grounded off Candolim beach ever since it ran aground about five and half year ago and all efforts to remove it in the past have proved futile so far.
