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VASCO
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has said that the operations to offload naphtha from the tanker MT Nu Shi Nalini which is grounded a few hundred meters off the Marivel beach near Cabo Raj Bhavan were likely to commence on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters after a high-level review meeting with Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) Chairman and other officials at the MPT administrative building late Sunday evening, Sawant said “the DG shipping officials and a professional salvaging team has already arrived in the State. These professional salvagers are from outside the country and we have specially called them for this work”.
Sawant said the team from abroad feels that it is important for the naphtha to be offloaded before the salvaging works begins.
“The situation as of now has become problematic because the weather is a major issue. The ships and barges that will carry the naphtha are also at risk because of the prevalent weather. Another team of experts and DG shipping officials are expected to arrive in Goa on Monday”, said Sawant.
Disclosing the modus operandi, Sawant said the teams will first visit the ship and carry out an inspection and in the best possible way, we will start the process of offloading naphtha from the grounded ship.
Stating that the barges
and ships engaged to offload naphtha have to be steady, he said it would be dangerous if these ships also start shaking while offloading the naphtha. For this, he said, on Monday we may get two poles and fix these barges next to the grounded ship. If this is set by Monday, we will start offloading the naphtha by Tuesday.
“As of now, we are continuously monitoring the grounded ship and there is no risk at all of any spillage of the naphtha”, Sawant said.
CM blames weather for salvage delay
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday took cover of the erratic “weather conditions” to explain the dragging of feet by officials and agencies involved in the State’s response to the crisis posed by the naphtha-laden chemical tanker MT Nu Shi Nalini which is grounded a few hundred meters off the Marivel beach near Cabo Raj Bhavan.
“The pumping and transferring out of the naphtha from the tanker will begin from tomorrow if the weather permits”, Sawant told reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony held at Raj Bhavan where Goa’s new governor Satya Pal Malik took oath of office.
State control necessary over ships docking at MPT, says Lobo
MAPUSA: Short of seeking action against the authorities of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) for mishandling the grounded tanker fiasco, Ports Minister, Michael Lobo on Sunday said that there has to be control of the State administration on ships docking at the key port. He also said that he will personally monitor the situation from Monday. >> See pg 3
