Ship Stranded

A merchant ship ‘Gurukripa’, bound for Kochi from the Old Port (fisheries harbour) here, ran aground in the shallow waters here on Saturday. According to the Port officer Captain Mohan Kudri, the ship got stuck in the soft soil at around 12 noon while it was heading out to the open sea carrying a consignment of sand.Forced halt: A merchant ship ‘Gurukripa’ that ran aground near the fishing harbour at the Old Port in Mangalore on Saturday.The 80-metre-long vessel blocked a large portion of the route used by ferries that shuttle between the mainland and the Taneerbhavi Sandspit, causing smaller boats to take detours. Captain Kudri said that the ship would be aided in its attempts to sail out into sea by local, privately owned trawlers. But for that to happen, the water levels must rise sufficiently. Locals complain of deposits of silt. Captain Kudri informed The Hindu that port authorities and a private infrastructure firm from Mumbai will take up the dredging work.