PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that the operation to pump out 2,600 metric tonnes of naphtha and other petroleum products from the unmanned vessel Nu-shi Nalini, grounded off Dona Paula, will begin from October 31.
A tanker with 2,600 tonnes of naphtha, 50 tonnes of heavy oil and 19 tonnes diesel has run aground near Raj Bhawan, 2.5 nautical miles from the coast.
Though there has been no oil spillage yet, the threat of leakage looms large. A high-powered pump procured from Mumbai, to pump out naphtha has reached Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) and this will be air lifted on to the ship using a defence helicopter.
The Chief Minister on Tuesday chaired a meeting with the concerned authorities including MPT, Coast Guard, North Goa Collector, etc to review the situation of the grounded vessel.
After the meeting, Sawant said that the operation of pumping out naphtha will begin from Oct 31, which may take around four days. He said that the naphtha from the ship will be emptied into two barges, before it is towed away to a safer position.
The government had already requested the Defence Authorities to provide a helicopter to drop the heavy pumps and equipments on the ship.
On Monday, two teams with a tug with 600 metres of reel of boon were sent to deploy the booms, but failed due to undercurrents. The process was repeated on Tuesday, but achieved no result.
The assessment by different agencies, including the Coast Guard aerial inspection, found no oil spillage. The Coast Guard has also stationed an oil spill response vessel in the vicinity of the grounded vessel. The ship is still aground at the same position as reported earlier. The situation is being monitored 24x7.
