Even a month after drifting and running aground, MV Nu-Shi Nalini , an unmanned chemical tanker carrying 2,400 metric tons of naphtha at Goa is yet to be drained and salvaged.
The ship had run aground on October 24 during Cyclone Kyarr and has missed several deadlines on draining out the naphtha and refloating the vessel, set by the State government over the past month. The 144-metre chemical tanker MV Nu-Shi Nalini ran aground on a rocky shelf.
The vessel is approximately 800 metres away from Dona Paula, a popular tourist spot near Panaji. Besides naphtha, MV Nu-Shi Nalini also contains 50 tonnes of heavy oil and 19 tonnes of diesel.
Initial salvage operations suffered a setback on October 30, when a generator, brought in for pumping out the cargo of naphtha and other fuel on board from the vessel, had to be jettisoned into the Arabian Sea due to bad weather.
The Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) has notified that an e-auction to dispose the approximately 2,400 metric tonnes of naphtha will be conducted on November 29. MSTC Ltd will conduct the auction. The MSTC e-tender notice terms the naphtha as ‘contaminated.’
Those firms intending to participate in the e-auction have to deposit a pre-bid Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of ₹10 lakh (for Indian bidders) and $14,500 (foreign bidders) on November 28.
Multiple surveys done in the nearly four weeks that the vessel has been grounded off the Marivel beach near Raj Bhavan, Dona Paula, had revealed that a significant portion of the naphtha cargo was intact.
Marine Masters, a Netherland-based salvage company, has been appointed to salvage Nu-Shi Nalini and the naphtha cargo in its storage tanks. The company is still in the process of shipping in the equipment needed for the operation. A five-member committee appointed under Director General of Shipping will be monitoring the operation.
As per the terms of the work order drawn up by the Director General Shipping, Marine Masters is tasked with either refloating and then towing the ship to MPT followed by discharge of cargo or discharge the naphtha at the spot where it is grounded.
Goa Ports Minister Michael Lobo said that the matter is serious and needs to be dealt with accordingly. “The salvager company will have to refloat the ship before tugging it away into the sea,” he said. Mr. Lobo blamed MPT for the ship drifting and said a probe by the district collectorate could be instituted after salvage operations are complete.
“MPT could have refused to allow the ship to enter the port. How did they allow the ship without engine? This is not the right time for an investigation. This is the time to salvage the ship. I will ask district collector to probe it later,” the minister said.
