Team Herald
PANJIM: As the 2000 tonne naphta-laden unmanned vessel continues grounded in the sea near Dona Paula, the State has sought help from the Defence authorities to provide helicopters to drop heavy pumps and equipments on the ship, which will be done on Tuesday afternoon.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant met concerned agencies on Monday evening, while earlier in the day, Chief Secretary Parimal Rai also took stock of the situation in a meeting at Mormugao Port Trust.
In a statement, the government said that the Chief Secretary has spoken to the Defence authorities to provide helicopters to drop heavy pumps and equipments on the ship.
The government also said that on Monday, two teams with a tug with total 600 meters of reel of boon went to deploy the booms but failed due to undercurrents. “Mostly likely, the booms around the vessel will be deployed on Tuesday early morning,” it stated.
It also said that assessment by different agencies, including a 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 was reported earlier. The situation is being monitored 24×7,” the government said.
