the goan I network
VASCO
The unmanned tanker ‘MT Nu Shi Nalini’ carrying around 2,500 metric tonnes of naphtha ran aground near Dona Paula on Friday noon after drifting from the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) inner anchorage on Thursday afternoon due to bad weather and rough sea.
The MPT convened a high-level meeting on Friday morning to discuss the situation and has plans to get a specialised team to remove the tanker from its present position. A towing vessel is expected to arrive from Mumbai by Saturday.
The MPT had pressed two tugs into service on Thursday shortly after the tanker began drifting, but the rough sea had prevented these from getting anywhere close to the vessel.
The tanker then began drifting towards Panaji side in the wee hours of Friday and by afternoon ran aground near a rocky terrain off Dona Paula.
Confirming the incident, sources at MPT said: “The tanker has surely run aground, given the position, the depth of the water and the draft of the ship. Rescue operations may look difficult as of now because the terrain is rocky and probably the tugs may be unable to go anywhere close to the ship for fear of getting stuck,” said the source.
The source, however, claimed that the chances of the tanker developing a crack and naphtha spilling into the sea were low.
“The ship has double hull so there is extremely less chance of cargo leaking in the water. We can only wait and watch the steps to be taken to get the ship out of the present position and move it to a safer destination. We hope that it moves away from the rocky area and floats back into deep water so that another rescue ship or tug can approach it,” said the source, adding that the Coast Guard and the Navy have also assured all assistance to the MPT.
“There was a high-level meeting at MPT in the morning and a plan of action is being formulated. The MPT has already planned to get a specialised team,” said the source.
