It is the language of the courts, which should be the consistent language of the government in dealing with the owners of Lucky 7. It’s a language which is clear, unambiguous and direct. It’s the only language that those with clear commercial interests with absolutely no concern about Goa’s environment or its coastline will understand. The time for nuances is over. The time for the state to show Lucky 7 the door, because honestly, the state of Goa, the Captain of Ports and all other authorities engaged in handling this “problem case”, can use their time much better. The grounding of Lucky 7 is not just an absolute nuisance. It’s a disaster.
The people of Goa need to salute the High Court for the language it has used in issuing directives to the owners of MV Lucky 7 to remove their vessel before the monsoons.
The words of the Honourable court are so strong and direct that they are worth recalling in verbatim so that the gravity of the Court’s observations can be fathomed in full. Here are the salvos of the Court against the owners of Lucky 7 who had the audacity to petition the High Court for a casino licence, for a vessel which is sinking on the Miramar beach and is on the verge of causing an environmental disaster. The Court’s words:
1) “Casinos will come and go. They are replaceable. Our beaches are not”.
2) “We make ourselves abundantly clear that we will hold the petitioners (responsible for the slightest environmental damage and loss caused to either Miramar Beach, the city of Panaji or any of the beaches downstream such as Caranzalem.”
3) Refusing to accept any excuses of the casino owner, the High Court underlined “The monsoons and tidal conditions at this time of year can have come as no surprise to anyone. MV Lucky Seven ran aground after the monsoons began. She will leave before the monsoons end”
4) “Our beaches and rivers first; casinos later. Our priorities are, we believe, the same as those of the government and of the people of Goa and Panaji”
The government, if it had been as firm as the High Court when the Captain of Ports had clearly predicated this disastrous outcome, could have avoided a massive potential environment and ecological disaster in the aftermath of this casino vessel of the Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd (GGHPL) getting grounded on the Miramar beach.
Extensive sand dune erosion, growing sand deposition and beach erosion are worrying realities. With each passing day, there is growing frustration and anger that the almost boorish approach of the owner of Lucky 7 towards getting his vessel into the Panjim port, had worked.
Having impressed the Court earlier with its promise to take all risks, it violated one of the basic conditions required to bring their vessel in to have three fully functional tugs boats to pull the vessel. Only two tugs were made available by the vessel owners.
While we wait for the salvage operations which can take place only after the monsoons, by which time the Miramar beach would have suffered extensive damage, a la the Sinquerim beach where MV River Princess was grounded, action should be initiated against the owners of Lucky 7 for being responsible for the beach disaster.
Goa really has no place for the adventures of Lucky 7.
