Warns the dry dock will be taken over by MPT
the goan I network
MARGAO
South Goa District Collector and Chairperson of South Goa district Disaster Management Authority has directed the Chairman and Managing Director of ABG Western India Shipyard Ltd to take up the task of refloating the floating dry dock or remove all such hazardous material, including sludge and oil from the partially sinking dry dock within 24 hours.
The District Collector Swapnil Naik has warned that the dockyard of ABG WISL situated at Mormugao harbour will be taken over by MPT for conducting the salvage operation to remove oil and sludge from inside the floating dock, which upon sinking may cause damage to the grounded vessel M V Qing.
Saying that the cost of the salvage operation will be recovered from WISL, the district Collector has said that failure to comply with the directives would invite further action in terms of the Disaster Management Act 2005.
The Collector’s directives came after Additional Collector-II and CEO South Goa District Disaster Management Authority Johnson Fernandes submitted a report stating that there was no person from WISL who could be held accountable at this stage.
The Collector stated that there is every reason for him to take preventive steps
to ensure the safety of the area and prevent environmental disaster. “There is high possibility of danger to the
grounded vessel with a threat of an oil spill that would cause environmental damage to the ecology and bio-diversity of the area which thereafter
will in no way be compensable in terms of money as
well as by undoing the damage,” the Collector stated
in a notice.
