NT NETWORK
VASCO
The Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) authorities have filed a police complaint against the management of Western India Shipyard Ltd (WISL) under relevant sections for laxity of which a floating dry dock sunk partially/ gradually due to ingress of water at WISL yard during the wee hours on Wednesday.
The floating dry dock of the WISL which was imported from Singapore during the inception of the company some 25-years ago had remained idle at the WISL yard for almost last two years as there was no maintenance and ship repair works. The workers till date have been left high and dry as there is no work in the yard due to the financial crisis created by the management.
The floating dry dock sunk partially/gradually during the wee hours due to no maintenance work. There was a fear of oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, posing threat to marine life.
The MPT authorities are monitoring the situation from time to time at the WISL yard at Mormugao Harbour. MPT has started initiating all preventive measures by putting oil booms in order to avoid any oil spillage into the Arabian Sea. The officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board inspected the floating dry dock on Wednesday evening and have taken stock of the situation. The GSPCB officials however failed to reveal anything about the floating dry dock and there are any chances of oil spillage into the sea.
The MPT secretary J B Dhawale has filed a police complaint with the Mormugao police against the WISL management in the evening for their negligence and for posing a threat to the marine environment. MPT authorities however have feared that there could be serious environment damage, if timely action is not taken.
In a three page complaint, the MPT secretary Dhawale have said that the WISL management have committed serious offences within the jurisdiction of Mormugao Harbour and have further requested the police to register the complaint and to carry out appropriate investigation and punish the concerned offenders.
“Further the Mormugao port has also sent a letter to the district collector South, disaster management authority to issue necessary directions to WISL in order to ensure safety of dry dock as well as to prevent leakage”, said Dhawale in his complaint to the Mormugao police.
“This acts and omissions caused danger to the public and people in general causing threat to the property in the vicinity of floating dry dock, thereby making them guilty of public nuisance as defined in the section 268 of Indian Penal Code (IPC)”., stated Dhawale and further disclosed that the WISL management have voluntarily vitiated the atmosphere in the subject place so as to make it noxious to the health of residents thereby committing an offence under section 278, 287 and 290 of IPC.