Presence of ship close to shore on Marina draws crowds

The vessel had been hired by a private telecom company from France for undertaking a survey before installing optic fibre cables undersea.

A ship that sailed close to the shore at Marina in Chennai on Friday caused quite a bit of excitement to the residents of Srinivasapuram fishing hamlet. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

Residents of Srinivasapuram, a fishing hamlet on the Marina, were in for a shock when they spotted a ship close to the shore on Friday afternoon.

Many of the residents, ignoring the blazing sun, waded into the sea to have a good look at the huge vessel.

Even as local television channels flashed the news, residents recalled how the oil tanker Prathibha Cauvery had run aground in Besant Nagar in November 2012.

A senior official of the Indian Coast Guard soon put rumours to rest after it was confirmed that the vessel had been hired by a private telecom company from France for undertaking a survey before installing optic fibre cables undersea.

The official said the telecom company had got all necessary clearances from the Shipping Ministry.