Panel to probe why barges were out in storm

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 19

Even as it’s unexplained why barges and ships were out at sea in Cyclone Tauktae, the government tonight ordered a high-level probe into the sequence of events that put over 600 lives at risk.

There have been questions on why the specific warnings issued by the Coast Guard, since May 11, asking all at sea, including the ships at oil-rigs, to “seek shelter” were ignored.

Tonight, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting tweeted that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has set up a high-level committee to inquire into the sequence of events leading to the stranding of ONGC vessels in the cyclone. The stranding, drifting and subsequent events led to the loss of several lives, it said.

Report in a month

• The committee includes Amitabh Kumar, Director General of Shipping, SCL Das, Director General of Hydrocarbons, and Nazli Jafri Shayin, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence
• The panel will submit its report in a month

Amitabh Kumar, Director General of Shipping, SCL Das, Director General of Hydrocarbons, and Nazli Jafri Shayin, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence, will be part of the committee, tasked to submit a report within a month.

The committee will probe the sequence of events leading to the stranding and drifting of vessels, and subsequent events; whether the warnings issued by the Meteorological Department and other authorities were considered and acted upon; if the standard operating procedures were duly followed; and the lapses and gaps in the system, if any.