Yet another time-bomb is ticking on Goa’s coast. The ill-fated tanker MT Nu-Shi Nalini is grounded on the Dona Paula water-bed with 2500 mt of highly combustible naphtha loaded in it, posing a major threat to the coast. While villagers have been vociferously protesting the proposed Nauxim Marina over fears of displacing traditional fishermen and destruction of marine life in the area, the grounded tanker could snowball into a maritime disaster.
The State government may have been in the dark over the ship anchored at MPT, but in the absence of a defined protocol or policy, the latter is at liberty to manage ships and consignments within its jurisdiction. Moreover, the directive to allow berthing for the tanker came from the Directorate of Shipping. Also, the ensuing tussle between the Customs and the owners that led to the delay and prolonged the stay is a different matter altogether.
The biggest lapse, however, was the fact that MPT failed to take cognizance of the red alert over Goa coast announced by the Meteorological Department because of the looming cyclone Kyarr. The port instead of making a berthing arrangement at the cruise terminal decided to park the tanker outside its anchorage which subsequently led to its drifting. This is a serious miscalculation because the Mercantile Marine Department had submitted in the Kerala High Court a few months back that the vessel’s anchor was weak and may not be able to withstand another monsoon. To add to this, the people of Kerala had even protested and forced the container away from the port ahead of Cyclone Gaja.
This is not the first time that ships have drifted into State waters. Leave aside River Princess, two other ships MT Pratibha Bheema and MV Quing have in the past strayed in the sea threatening the coastline. And still, Goa hasn’t learnt its lessons from the past. By now, there should have been water-tight mechanisms in place, especially when there is transportation of hazardous and chemical cargo involved. Right now the government is handling disaster management and salvage operations in a situation that originated outside its jurisdiction.
The transfer of 2500 mt of naphtha remains a huge challenge for now because of the liquid cargo involved. There could be gases released in the air that could be lethal. Chances are that the ship may develop small cracks allowing seepage of water and sand making the vessel heavy and adding to the salvage problem. Although the ship has a double hull, leakage of naphtha is the biggest fear. Naphtha, a liquid hydrocarbon mixture, is a partially refined product that is extremely flammable and causes irritation to the eyes and respiratory system besides affecting the central nervous system. Moreover, its spillage into the sea will destroy marine life far and wide along the coast. The Government needs to handle this with extreme caution.
