Week-long struggle to salvage capsized ferry continues
The river navigation department (RND) is still grappling with rescuing the ferryboat, Betim, that has remained submerged for an entire week near Chorao island despite relentless salvage efforts by the RND.
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According to RND officials, poor visibility beneath the water has hampered divers' attempts to secure the vessel to a pontoon on Sunday. 'The ferryboat has to be tied to the pontoon underwater, which only divers can do. But due to poor visibility, the two divers were not able to fix the pontoon's chain properly. The chain slipped off during multiple attempts, making it impossible to complete the task on Sunday,' RND director Vikram Rajebhosale said.
He further said that the operation could not be rushed, as it risked further damage to the vessel. 'We may require some more chains on the pontoon to secure the vessel properly,' he added.
Earlier during the week, pontoons were hired to aid the salvage, but shallow waters along the riverbank made it impossible to position them. This forced the department to alter its strategy. A team of 15 RND staff, supported by a diver and a special salvager crane, worked through Friday to refloat the Betim but were thwarted by high tide and technical setbacks.
Over the weekend, the team added another diver and circled back to using the pontoon method, but the operation has yet to succeed.
In the meantime, to ensure that daily commuters are not stranded, two additional ferries have been deployed on the Chorao route to maintain connectivity for the islanders.
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Time of India
6 days ago
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Time of India
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Ferry capsized at Chorao finally pulled out of water after 11 days
Panaji: The ferry boat called Betim, docked at Chorao island ramp, which was submerged since June 23, was safely pulled out of the water after 11 days. A preliminary inspection by the river navigation department (RND) showed that there was no puncture to the hull. The vessel was taken to the RND marine workshop for further inspection and repairs. 'Primary observations reveal that there is no major damage to the vessel,' RND director Vikram Rajebhosale told TOI . After several failed efforts to salvage the vessel using pontoons and even pumping out the water from its other rooms, the RND on Friday pressed a 50-tonne crane into service to salvage the partially submerged vessel. However, persistently high-water levels caused by heavy rainfall kept flooding the vessel's engine room. 'We managed to drain the water out of the engine room with the help of salvagers and a crane, following which the vessel was refloated,' Rajebhosale said. 'After repairs at the marine workshop, we will repaint the vessel, resurvey it, and put it back on the Chorao route within a month.' Preliminary investigations on the day it capsized suggested that the vessel sank due to rainwater accumulating in the tanks, which were not drained. The sudden flooding caused the ferry to lose stability and submerge near the Chorao jetty. On Wednesday, the RND crew succeeded in lifting the vessel by 5m and managed to drain water from most of the compartments. However, water trapped inside the engine room was a challenge as it required the ferry to be lifted further to allow proper pumping.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Time of India
Week-long struggle to salvage capsized ferry continues
Panaji: The river navigation department (RND) is still grappling with rescuing the ferryboat, Betim, that has remained submerged for an entire week near Chorao island despite relentless salvage efforts by the RND. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to RND officials, poor visibility beneath the water has hampered divers' attempts to secure the vessel to a pontoon on Sunday. 'The ferryboat has to be tied to the pontoon underwater, which only divers can do. But due to poor visibility, the two divers were not able to fix the pontoon's chain properly. The chain slipped off during multiple attempts, making it impossible to complete the task on Sunday,' RND director Vikram Rajebhosale said. He further said that the operation could not be rushed, as it risked further damage to the vessel. 'We may require some more chains on the pontoon to secure the vessel properly,' he added. Earlier during the week, pontoons were hired to aid the salvage, but shallow waters along the riverbank made it impossible to position them. This forced the department to alter its strategy. A team of 15 RND staff, supported by a diver and a special salvager crane, worked through Friday to refloat the Betim but were thwarted by high tide and technical setbacks. Over the weekend, the team added another diver and circled back to using the pontoon method, but the operation has yet to succeed. In the meantime, to ensure that daily commuters are not stranded, two additional ferries have been deployed on the Chorao route to maintain connectivity for the islanders.
