the goan I network
PANAJI
The Environment Ministry has given a written admission in the legislative assembly that they have not initiated any action against either on the owner or the contractor handling Naphtha laden Nu-shi vessel which drifted towards the coast posing danger to the lives of people for almost a month till it was removed.
To a pointed question related to Nu-Shi raised by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Lourenco seeking the details of the amount spent by the Government on disposing of the naphtha, the Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral has given a written reply saying “as far as this office is concerned there is no amount spent on disposing of the naphtha.”
He added further that “in view of the above answer the question of recovering amount and action on MPT, owner of the vessel and the contractor does not arise”.
The question is whether the Environment Ministry has any power to take such action or it just did nothing in this regard.
On October 24 due to strong winds and Cyclone Kyarr, the chemical tanker Nu-Shi Nalini drifted from the outer anchorage and ran aground near Dona Paula.
The Goa and Central government administration machineries, including the judiciary, were also involved in the vessel removal process. Finally one month later On November 21 the naphtha was later removed and stored in the Ganesh Benzoplast Limited (GBL) tanks. The naphtha aboard the vessel was sold to Baroda-based firm through an auction conducted by Government of India public sector unit Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Ltd. The unmanned ship was towed back into the port on December 11 and docked at Berth 8 of MPT.
The tanker has been sold to a company called ‘Global Tankers’ for around Rs 13.5 crore through an auction at the High Court and the unmanned ship was taken away from MPT berth.
