Team Herald
VASCO: The floating dry dock at Western India Shipyard Limited(WISL) at Mormugao Harbour has once again tilted. WISL workers fear the dry dock may sink or even damage the Cruise liner MV QING during the forthcoming monsoons.
According to the workers, this is the fourth time in last one year the floating dry dock which is left unattended in dilapidated conditions by the WISL management has tilted. They said over the last two years the dry dock is not put to use and hence it’s metal plates have rusted to a large extent due to lack of maintenance.
“Time and again we have been releasing warnings to MPT and WISL management about the tilting dry dock. We now fear the rusted metal plates of the dry dock could lead to massive ingress of sea water and that could lead to severe danger to marine environment. It could sink or get grounded. We somehow managed to keep the dry dock afloat by tying the dry dock with ropes to the dolphins but something has to be done to avoid the disaster. We now fear going on board to pump the water out and to carry out maintenance work” a worker told reporters.
Another worker said, “We fear that during the forthcoming monsoon, due to rough weather the ropes which has become week might snap and the same could drift towards the grounded cruise liner at WISL. Despite sending letters to the MPT and other authorities like the GSPCB, we have not received any positive response, except for some inspections by the authorities.”
MPT Chairman I Jeyakumar, he said ” There is no immediate danger from the floating dry dock as all precautionary measures have been adopted to ensure the dry dock does not sink. Though we are not aware as whether the dry dock has tilted again but if that is the case then I will send my engineers to verify and take necessary action.”
He said “As MPT has been dragged into picture, and as there has been a case going on before High Court over the MV QING issue, from MPT side we have already informed the court that there might be danger to the environment due to MV QING as this cruise liner is having 350 tons of oil. With regards to the dry dock, the water chambers inside the dock has some leakages and water cannot be pumped due to these leakages. Still our officers will inspect the dry dock and further action would be initiated” he informed.
