Forget salvaging sunk sub INS Sindhurakshak, Navy yet to float tender

It has been six weeks since INS Sindhurakshak caught fire and sank at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, resulting in the death of 18 Navy personnel, including three officers, but the promised probe report is yet to be submitted.

Soon after the August 14 mishap, Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi had said that the Board of Inquiry (BOI) under a commodore-rank officer would conduct a probe and submit the report within four weeks. However, there is still no sign of the report. 

In fact, according to sources, the Navy has not even floated tenders to start the salvaging process of the sunk submarine. The tender to salvage the vessel would be issued very soon after the scene of the mishap was assessed by them, Navy officials said.

The salvaging of the vessel is important for investigators to find out the exact cause of the mishap in which all 18 personnel on board are feared to have been killed. So far, only 11 bodies have been recovered by divers, nine of which have been handed over to the families after they were identified through DNA tests.

The officials stated that the salvage operations may take six months to be completed even after the Defence Ministry relaxing the Defence Procurement Manual rules for hiring a world class agency for the task.

INS Sindhurakshak had returned in January after an upgrade by a Russian shipyard with an estimated cost of Rs 480 crore.

Defence PRO Narendra Vispute said, “I am not aware of whether or not the report has submitted to the defence ministry.”

However, another navy officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “The preliminary report may have come but I don’t think the complete report can be submitted before the salvage operation has been completed.”  

The officer added, “The internal structure of the submarine and all its compartments, especially the front portion, have been severely damaged. It will be very difficult to salvage the submarine because a majority of its body is in the mud.”

Flashback
In one of the worst disasters to have struck the Indian Navy, 18 naval personnel lost their lives after a series of explosions rocked INS Sindhurakshak on August 14

The submarine was berthed at the naval dockyard when the incident occurred

Despite all efforts by rescue and relief teams, the submarine could not be saved and sank shortly after dawn

A team of navy divers was mobilised to search for survivors and 16 fire tenders were brought in to put out the blaze