Nalini: A threat to Dona Paula Coast

Not too long ago we had exposed the sordid saga of River Princess off the Goa coast, stationed not too far away from Taj Aguada at Sinquerim. It took a decade and more to get this vessel out by actually cutting it, more than 10 years after it was grounded.

Goans would remember that Dr Joe D'Souza and I played an important role not only in studying the impact this ship had on Goan ecology and ecosystem around Candolim but we showed that the oil leaks had damaged the marine diversity, on North Goa beaches.

Now is the turn of Mt Nu-Shi Nalini carrying naphtha meant for a port in West Bengal. What is worse for us was this ship developed a snag in June 2018 off the coast of Cochin port and remained there for eleven months and was later abandoned by the charterers.  Then it landed at Mormugao Port Trust somewhere in July and to our horror let loose off the Goa coast some days ago just as River Princess was abandoned and grounded on June 5, 2000 and remained grounded off the Sinquerim coast.

This Mt Nu-Shi Nalini is today stranded parallel to her starboard sitting on the rock hardly 1 km from the Raj Bhavan coastline (attached photo taken from the La Marivel shoreline, Dona Paula) and is threatening the residents of Dona Paula and fishermen from La Marivel area. People are unaware that MV QINK, a ship was grounded at the MPT and belched out mineral oil off the MPT coast till it was taken care of after four years of struggle and the NGT finding the charterers of this above ship after Dr Joe D'Souza, then consultant of Goa State Pollution Control Board, submitted a report explaining the damage by MV QINK to the MPT bay. Now, the challenge posed by Nalini vessel is far greater as it is laden with around 3000 metric tonnes of naphtha.  Incidentally, naphtha is a very volatile, inflammable, corrosive and an irritable liquid. This hydrocarbon is an important industrial solvent with numerous applications in paint and plastic industry. It is well accepted thinner and a solvent. However, this essay is not to discuss the economic importance of naphtha but the harm it can cause to mankind and biodiversity, if not handled properly and immediately. We are well aware that leaded naphtha at Zuari Nagar caused extreme damage to our terrestrial ecosystem after the pipeline had leaked and exploded.

Now, we see the history repeating in the marine environment off Dona Paula coast. Could Captain of Ports, MPT and the sleeping beauty GSPCB wake up before the damage is done, as the danger of an environment disaster is staring at us? Naphtha leakage into the sea by disabled oil tanker would spell doom for Goa and Goans. The fumes of certain level of naphtha would evaporate at less than 90 degree centigrade and be carried by wind and cause skin irritation as well as affect eye, nose and throat. Further, this exposure would cause headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and respiratory ailments and finally lead to cancer. 

The medium fraction of naphtha would float on the surface of sea and affect and kill all the phytoplankton, zooplankton and curb the oxygenation of water thus affecting the food chain cycle in the sea and harm marine life. Both these fractions are inflammable and would cause immense damage to the coastal people. Finally, the heavier fraction of naphtha would slowly sink and damage the bottom fauna living in benthic region into the sediment which would be affected. One too many such incidents of negligence by MPT and Captain of Ports have surfaced at regular intervals putting at chaos and danger the lives of the people of Goa by allowing abandoned and unmanned ship to remain in Goan waters for longer duration. Dr Joe D'Souza and I have written articles and published in local newspapers on River Princess under the caption “Rust in pieces”. Now, would it be our turn again to write a homily on the stranded Nalini?

The solution is that the ship, which is now causing disaster for Goa, should be auctioned immediately by resorting to quick legal procedures and the money received from auction should be used to tow the ship to the breaking yard in Alang at Gujarat at quickest possible time.