Cargo ship catches fire in Karavali; Ship halts off coast near Surathkal
Fear of sinking, dangerous oil spill in sea
►Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts on alert ►No immediate danger: Udupi DC, Coast Guard
Udupi: A massive cargo ship transporting highly flammable oil and solid materials from Mundra port in Gujarat to Colombo, Sri Lanka, caught fire in the Arabian Sea between Goa and Karwar. Currently, the ship is anchored mid-sea near Surathkal, close to Mangaluru's NMPT.
Udupi Deputy Commissioner Dr. K. Vidyakumari and Malpe Coast Guard SP Mithun H.N confirmed that the fire, which broke out on June 19, has been completely extinguished. However, the risk of the fire reigniting, potentially causing the ship to sink and spill oil into the sea, remains. This could result in significant marine pollution affecting the sea coasts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) deployed rescue ships and helicopters, successfully extinguishing the fire after 40 hours. There were 21 crew members on board, with one reported missing or deceased. The ICG instructed the district administrations of Karwar and Dakshina Kannada to prepare for any eventuality, including informing coastal residents and readying resources for potential pollution cleanup.
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The ship, MV M. Frankfurt, a Panama-flagged cargo container loaded with International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) category-4 flammable solids and liquids, is now anchored 33 nautical miles from Surathkal. Officials warn that if the ship sinks or catches fire again, it could lead to severe marine pollution.
District administrations have been instructed to prepare human resources and equipment for emergency situations. An expert team will visit the site to assess the ship's condition and determine the cause of the fire. Further action will be based on their report, and a tug from Sharjah is en route to tow the ship if deemed safe.
Dr. K. Vidyakumari, Udupi Deputy Commissioner, stated, "The district administration received information about the fire on a cargo ship from Gujarat, and instructions were given. We have put the Coast Guard, Fisheries Department, and Environment Department on alert to face any situation."
SP Mithun H.N. added, "The fire on the ship has been completely extinguished. There is no oil leakage at present. Stakeholders will decide on the next course of action based on the expert team's report. We are ready to face any situation."
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Judiciary needs to function like 24x7 hospitals to address common man's pain, aspirations: CJI
Jabalpur (PTI): Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday said it was time for the judiciary to address the pain and aspirations of the common man through an immediate relief-giving mechanism, and stressed the need for the judicial system to function like hospitals that work round-the-clock.
He said technology was the only effective answer to wastage of judiciary's time, and called for deepening technology and artificial intelligence (AI)-based judicial architecture to expedite justice delivery.
The CJI was speaking at a programme organised by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on "Fragmentation to fusion, Empowering justice via united digital platform integration". He also launched the high court's newly-developed digital platforms.
"Indian judiciary is committed to ensuring optimum utilisation of not only technological advancements that have been going on and which are integral part of our system since 1990, but also of latest AI designs and how we can use them for the benefit of the common man," he said.
"We should think of deepening technology and AI-based judicial architecture. Technology is the only effective answer to wasting judicial time," CJI Kant said.
The time has come when the judiciary needs to address the aspirations, requirements, demands, pain and agony of the common man through an immediate relief-giving system, he said.
"For that, the judiciary needs to work like hospitals that function 24x7," he added.
Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic, the CJI said the Indian judiciary was praised globally for discharging its constitutional duties during difficult times.
"We did not close our courts," he said, elaborating on how technology enabled courts to conduct urgent hearings during the pandemic.
He stressed the need to make use of technological advancements in judiciary for expediting the justice delivery system.
Praising Madhya Pradesh HC for developing digital platforms, the CJI said that as stated by the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, there was a need to roll out these technological advancements at the pan-India level.
A committee has been constituted by the Supreme Court on how to use AI for the benefit of the judicial system, especially in speedy disposal of cases, according to him.
Minister Meghwal, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and MP High Court Chief Justice Sanjeev Sabharwal also spoke on the occasion.
