VASCO: The process of removing the grounded pontoon and tugboat at Arossim beach began soon after the tug that was mobilised from Mumbai by Arihant Ship Breakers reached the beach on Friday.
According to information, the agencies involved in the rescue operations have been working tirelessly to remove the grounded tugboat first, after which they will deal with the pontoon.
“On Friday, they had mobilised an excavator to excavate the area around the stranded tug. The work has already been completed, and the grounded tugboat will possibly be towed during high-tide. Once the grounded tug is removed, the agencies involved in the rescue work will concentrate on removing the grounded pontoon, which is sinking in the sand,” sources informed Herald.
Sources further informed that South Goa Collector Sachin Shinde, who is also chairman of the South Goa Disaster Management Authority, has called an emergency meeting of different authorities, including Mormugao Deputy Collector Sabaji Shetye, Captain of Ports (CoP), Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) in his chamber in the South Goa Collectorate building at 11.30 am on Saturday.
“After the meeting, the officials are expected to hold a site inspection to take stock of the salvaging work and issue directions, if required,” said sources.
Meanwhile, the Cansaulim Villagers Action Committee (CVAC) has raised serious concerns over the delay in removing the grounded vessels from the beach.
Addressing newsmen on Saturday, CVAC member Simon D’Souza said, “It is disappointing to note that the work of removing the grounded vessels has been going on at snail’s pace. On Friday, they had only removed the sand around the tug, while the work of removing the pontoon is yet to begin. No one is giving a clear picture as to how many days the rescue operations will take. We demand that the agencies remove the tug and pontoon from the beach by increasing their labour force and machinery.”
He further said, “We have several questions for the government. Firstly, why have the authorities, including the CoP and Coast Guard, not taken action against the people involved in such a disastrous act? What took place on the pontoon that night, was it a wedding or some illegal activity going on when such an incident occurred? Why haven’t the authorities acted against the violators so far or are they all hand-in-gloves with them?”
