TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: After acting against M V River Princess and M V Leela, the tourism department now intends to act against a third vessel- M V Pratibha Bheema which has dangerously anchored off Mira Mar beach which could cause a disaster.
The vessel has been in the news since January last year after it developed engine failure and was towed off Panjim Port to MPT will be impounded under the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act 2001.
The vessel now stands abandoned approximately 8 nautical miles off Mira Mar into the sea and is likely to pose a huge problem if not removed before the ensuing monsoons. The tourism department has issued a show cause notice to the owner, the company, the company that chartered it, drawing their attention to the fact that the vessel may become a nuisance and affect tourism.
“The matter was brought to our notice by the Captain of Ports,” said a senior official in the tourism department.
The show cause notice was accordingly issued on January 9, 2014 by the Director of Tourism competent under the Act directing whosoever is concerned with the vessel to submit its say in the matter by January 21.
The notice says that in case of failure on the part of whosoever is in control of the vessel to appear before the competent authority that necessary action as contemplated under provisions of section 10 of the Act shall be initiated against the defaulters.
The vessel is an oil tanker 274 meters long and 44 meters wide which has been threatening Goa’s coast for almost a year
Officials say that the vessel could have got beached last year and timely efforts by the Ports Administration prevented a major disaster. However the vessel is now bobbing off Miramar and may spell doom if immediate and timely action is not taken.
