CORTALIM: Mauvin Godindo is a multiple portfolio holding minister. He is also in charge of protocol. Coordination between different agencies is his forte. The question is why wasn’t there a single minister, especially him?

Who took decisions either on the spot or took charge of operations immediately after the Zuari tragedy?

It may have been beyond “working hours”. But it was expected that Minister Godinho, as the senior ruling party minister in that area would get the Navy divers on board in less than an hour after the incident. At the same time, neither of the MLAs of Agacaim and Cortalim, on either side of the bridge turned up but did so 10 to 11 hours later, way into the morning, like spectators

It also begs the question, why did the police and state authorities, fail to establish contact with the Navy or call the Protocol Minister? A timely intervention would have resulted in the Navy divers with their skills and equipment being in the waters of the Zuari in record time to give even the slimmest of chances of saving some or all the lives trapped.

Proactive leadership was absolutely missing on the night of the tragedy.