The Shipping Corporation of India on Thursday said the allegation by the authorities in Iran that merchant tanker Desh Shanti had caused oil spillage and pollution was ‘frivolous’ and based on misinterpretation of satellite data.
SCI Director (Bulk Carrier & Tanker Division) Sunil Thapar said Desh Shanti was released after 26 days of detention at Bandar Abbas on September 6 after the public sector company gave an undertaking that it would pay $1 million if the allegations were proved.
He said, “We think some other ship anchored in that area might have led to the raising of pollution alarm. They have not given any proof to us to substantiate their charge. There were five ships anchored in the area at that time.”
The vessel, carrying 1,40,000 tonnes of crude from Iraq, was detained on her way to Visakhapatnam to deliver part of the cargo to Visakha refinery of the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. The ship, which anchored at the Visakhapatnam port on Wednesday morning, left for Mumbai on Thursday evening after offloading 47,000 tonnes.
Referring to reports in a section of the media that some of the facilities in the tanker were damaged, he said there was no truth in it and the vessel had not suffered any damage during the detention period.