Vasco (Goa) The ship wrecks dating back to World War II lying off Mormugao habour is one amongst the treasures that Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) will have to salvage during its project to construct a new fishing harbour.
In March 1943, during World War II group of British commandos blew up ships German ships – Ehrenfels, Drachenfels and Brownfels — off the Mormugao coast. Goa was then a Portuguese colony.
The ship wrecks which are lying undisturbed for more than six decades now will be salvaged as a part of union shipping ministry’s plan to construct fishing habour and cargo jetty at MPT.
MPT officials claim that the ship wrecks have turned into “mere metal plates” now and even after salvage it wont have any value.
“Only pieces of the ships are available now. Few pieces are there as it has remained under water for several years,” MPT Chairman I Jeykumar reacted.
He said the metal pieces would be salvaged only when MPT takes up the work of constructing a fishing harbour and a cargo jetty.
“When we construct the fishing harbour, then only we will remove it and that time only we will come to know what has been remaining in the water. It is some metal plates are there,” Jeykumar said.
The Chairman said that the wrecks are coming in the way of construction of both the projects whose Environment Impact Assessment studies are currently being conducted.
“After salvaging the wrecks, then only we will know whether it is full ship or part,” he said.
Refusing to give any commitment on its preservation, Jeykumar said “it is immature to say whether we will preserve it or not.” “ We will able to say anything only when we are starting the work,” he added.
Another senior MPT official on the condition of anonymity said “ship wrecks have no value now as they have corroded and left only in pieces.”
“We will have to break it underwater and remove it. There are no claims from anyone including archeological Survey of India or any museum over it. If someone wants it for preservation we are eager to give it to them,” the official commented.
“But I don’t think it has any value. One government that could be interested in it would be German but they too have never approached,” he added.
