Recently a tragic collision between the Indian Navy submarine INS Karanj and a fishing boat left two fishermen dead, while 11 others survived. The crash reportedly caused Rs 10 crore worth of damage to the submarine, and the fallout has raised some big questions. The fishing vessel, which had a crew of 13, collided about 70 nautical miles northwest of Goa, near Malvan.
The families of the two fishermen who died blamed Navy’s negligence, and demanded compensation for the families of the deceased fishermen and a government job for a member of the family. Be that as it may, it is learnt that an FIR has been registered and the Tandel (captain) of the fishing boat was booked in connection with the death of the two fishermen. The question that arises is why did the Navy file an FIR against the fishing boat’s captain? Only a thorough investigation will throw light on the accident. But the incident raises some pertinent questions.
How did the submarine with all the sophisticated modern technology not detect the fishing boat on its radar? How could a submarine, which is capable of detecting a warship several miles away, not prevent a collision with a fishing boat? A submarine operates below water level and cannot be seen on the surface by the fishing boats. The big question is how can a collision with a mere fishing boat cause Rs 10 crore worth of damage to the submarine?
