NHRC seeks report on barge Papaa-305 sinking after authorities 'appeared' to have known danger

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Sunday sought reports from various authorities into the sinking of a barge in the Arabian Sea in wake of Cyclone Taukate, saying it appeared that they were aware of the "potential danger" but took "no effective" steps to bring the seafarers to safety.

At least 49 people have been killed in one of the worst offshore disasters in the country when the barge P-305, also known as Papaa-305, sank on May 17 due to the cyclone. Several people are still missing.

The NHRC felt that the loss of precious lives could have been avoided, if all the involved agencies had followed standard safety regulations and protocols, both before and during the build-up of the cyclone.

"It appears that the Director General, Shipping, ONGC authorities and the Coast Guard were aware that in the wake of cyclone Tauktae, there was potential danger to the lives of the workers on-board a dumb Barge but it seems that no effective steps were taken to bring the victims to safer places and they were left helpless. This is a serious case of violation of the Right to Life of the victims," it said.

Read | ONGC reaches out to families of dead in barge sinking

The NHRC has sought reports from the Union Petroleum Secretary, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Chairman, Indian Coast Guard Director General and Director General of Shipping, Mumbai within six weeks.

It has asked the officials to provide accurate data regarding persons on-board at the time of the incident, steps taken after receiving an alert regarding the cyclone, persons missing persons rescued till date with their health status as well as the status of the rescue operation as on date.

They should also provide details about the status of the inquiry ordered in the matter, the action taken against the responsible public servants and the relief granted to the next of kin of the deceased and to the injured workers, it said in a statement.

The NHRC statement also referred to an article written by security expert C Uday Bhaskar, who has also served with the Indian Navy, who claimed that the contract workers are always put at the lower end of the ladder and very few safety norms and regulations are put in place.

Also Read | Eight bodies suspected to be of P-305 found on Raigad coast in Maharashtra

"The Writer has categorically mentioned that the ONGC and its major contractors are well aware of this grim ground reality. The vast number of seafarers especially, the Contract Workers who have little or no voice as a collective must not be taken for granted," it said.

The Accommodation Work Barges (AWB) are reportedly the equivalent of rudimentary dormitories at sea for contract workers and their living conditions are spartan in a flat-bottom, floating structures called barge with cramped built-up accommodation. When these have no self-propulsion, these are deemed to be “dumb” as was the case with the ill-fated barge, it said.

"Given the high operational costs in maintaining a workforce on an oil rig or platform at sea, cost-cutting and penny-pinching is endemic to the off-shore hydrocarbon sector and this particular installation is also not an exception in this regard," the statement said quoting the article.

The NHRC referred to Bhaskar's assertion that India has an anomalous Maritime Sector Management pattern as domain competence is ignored and the Civil Servants are preferred for the top job.