Navin Jha
Vasco: Ganesh Benzoplast has various oil tanks located in a residential area at Jetty, Bogda, in Vasco. Dozens of oil tanks belonging to oil companies are located in the heart of Vasco town. There is an ammonia tank inside MPT, several oil tanks owned by ZIOTL on Sancoale Hill, an ammonia tank inside Zuari Industries Limited (ZIL) premises. All these tanks in Mormugao taluka lead to the fear of the town sitting on a time bomb just waiting to explode.
What is alarming is that these tanks are located close to residential areas and despite safety and security concerns raised by citizens these tanks continue to remain close to residential areas. The real threat from these tanks can be gauged only through a disaster like the 2011 naphtha fire after which Vasco residents realised that the oil tanks are dangerous and need to be shifted away from residential areas.
It’s not that politicians haven’t raised concerns over shifting of these tanks to some other location but the efforts go waste due to lack of will from the State
administration.
