Major oil spill, scientific data loss averted in Karnataka

The Coast Guard ship tows (green) RV Sindhu Sadhana

In a remarkable display of swift and efficient response, the Indian Coast Guard successfully averted a potential environmental disaster on Thursday when they rescued NIO's research ship RV Sindhu Sadhana, with a crew of 36 and eight eminent scientists.

The vessel had suffered engine failure and was drifting perilously close to Karwar in Karnataka, and posed a threat of running aground that could have resulted in a major oil spill, said an official of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

The distress call was received when the National Institute of Oceanography's (NIO) vessel was about 20 nautical miles from the Karwar coastline, adrift at a speed of 03 knots.

"The proximity of the ship to the ecologically sensitive Karwar coastline posed an imminent threat of grounding, which could have resulted in a major oil spill and devastating pollution to the marine environment," an official of the ICG said. A potential disaster was averted, and the scientific mission and precious data onboard the ship have been preserved, said officials.

(With inputs from Agencies)