Rupesh Samant

Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Nov 26: The stranded Naphtha carrying vessel which run aground, off the Goa coast will be removed within a month, chief minister, Pramod Sawant said.

Sawant told reporters that the Netherland-based company has been already given a contract to salvage the ship (Nu-Shi Nalini) and empty the Naphtha from the stranded vessel.

“They have been given a time frame of 30 days, but we expect the work to be over in the next 20-22 days,” the chief minister said.

The unmanned ship, which anchored at Mormugao Port Trust in Goa, had drifted toward the state’s Dona Paula coast on October 24. The ship had run aground after hitting rocks, 2.5 nautical miles off the Goa coast.

Sawant said that the company is mobilizing its resources to empty the Naphtha from the tanker before salvaging it.

Meanwhile, sources stated that the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) notified that an e-auction to dispose the approximately 2,400 metric tonnes of naphtha will be conducted on November 29.

Marine Masters, a Netherland based salvage company has been appointed to move out the grounded ship. Director general of shipping has formed a five-member committee to oversee the salvage operation.