PANAJI
ONGC’s Advanced Training Institute (ATI), Goa, has clarified that the jetty, a portion of which collapsed recently, was still under construction and had not been formally commissioned.
According to a statement by ONGC, the structure was made temporarily operational during India Energy Week 2026 for limited water transport while construction continued.
The company said the damaged portion was an under‑construction pontoon, which gave way due to severe weather and cyclonic sea conditions. It stressed that the lift structure and gangway remained unaffected.
“The site has been secured, a technical assessment is underway, and the damaged portion will be restored before commissioning after meeting all safety and operational standards,” the statement read.
The collapse of a section of the Rs 100‑crore jetty off the ONGC complex in Betul had triggered a storm, with AAP’s Velim MLA Cruz Silva questioning the wasteful expenditure and contrasting the project with the government’s decades‑long delay in building facilities at the nearby Cutbona‑Betul fishing jetty, a long‑standing demand of local fishermen.
It has also reignited debate over priorities in coastal infrastructure with Silva arguing that while crores are being spent on such jetties of questionable utility, fishermen at Cutbona and Betul continue to struggle without infrastructure to protect their livelihoods.
“This collapse shows how misplaced priorities can waste public money. Our fishing community has waited decades for a breakwater, yet the government chooses to spend Rs 100 crore on a jetty that has already failed,” Silva said.
Local residents echoed the concern, pointing out that the fishing jetty remains vulnerable to rough seas every monsoon.
