The worst of the cyclone has passed by, bringing down trees and flooding roads, but the havoc it created may still spill into the weeks and months ahead. Off Dona Paula, and drifting, is the ship Nu-shi Nalini with a cargo of naphtha creating a major scare among the people of the area. The tanker drifted from the Mormugao Port Trust harbour, where it had been anchored unmanned for the past few months, and already under a shroud of controversy. It is now some 2.5km from Dona Paula, its anchor broken, and with the potential of causing massive damage should it run aground over the rocky shore of Dona Paula.
It contains not just naphtha, but oil and fuel, so imagine the magnitude of the disaster it has the potential of causing. The vessel arrived at MPT in July from Cochin and remained anchored at the port trust’s breakwaters berth from July 17, 2019 till it broke anchor and drifted. It was while it lay anchored at MPT that the NGO Goa First had raised concerns over its hazardous and flammable cargo and sought that the government act in the matter. MPT at that time had skirted taking any decision on the issue stating that the matter is subjudice and any steps taken by the port trust would be as per the court’s directives. Nature, however, has now forced the government to act, and in doing so it has also created a much bigger problem for the State.
It is strange that Ports Minister Michael Lobo is now saying that he feels that the government should have intervened in this matter earlier. Of course, it should have. There can be no argument over that. The vessel remained at MPT for three months and the government took no notice, aware of its contents and aware that it came to Goa following an explosion on board when it was in Cochin. This is negligence. Just what was the government doing when the NGO first drew its attention to the vessel over two months ago, raising the possibility that there was a disaster waiting to happen? The NGO had already voiced out the possibility of the tanker breaking anchor during the monsoon, so this occurrence was not entirely unforeseen, it is just that the authorities decided to play blind to it, and so it has only gotten worse.
As usual, the government acts too late. A magisterial arrest of the unmanned vessel’s captain has been now ordered, to ensure that he doesn’t escape. Experts have been called to control any possible disaster. Instructions have been issued as to precautions and preventive measures to be taken to avoid such accidents. A ship is coming to Goa, which will take in the naphtha from the abandonded ship. The Director General of Shipping, Ministry of Shipping have been intimated about the status of the vessel. All this could have been avoided had the government acted earlier when the ship still lay at anchor at MPT. But it didn’t, which is the reason why we have this impending disaster today.
Nu-shi Nalini’s breaking of anchor and drifting towards shore brings to mind another cyclone that led to the River Princess drifting and getting stranded off Candolim beach, where it then remained grounded for years – over a decade – before it was finally cut at site and the pieces disposed. What will be the fate of Nu-shi Nalini whose cargo is flammable? There are government orders to unload the cargo, but this while not being an easy feat, will not clear the vessel off the coast of Goa. This is now costing the ex-chequer money and is creating panic among the people of Dona Paula. Goa does not need another River Princess. Nu-shi Nalini has to be towed away immediately.
