PANAJI (GOA): After coming under scathing attack of the Goa government for defying the advisory not to tow off-shore casino M V Lucky 7 to Mandovi river during the monsoon season, the Golden Globe Hotel Private Limited has entered into an agreement with Arihant Company to salvage vessel before any calamity strikes.
Arihant Ship Breakers that specialises in wreck removal and salvage operations was several years ago tasked with removing large remnants of another grounded vessel for over 12 years M V River Princess from Candolim beach.
Nevertheless, the agency has now been hired by the Haryana politician Gopal Kanda’s firm to tow M V Lucky 7 vessel back to Mormugao Port Trust from where it left to anchor off Campal. Sources inform that both agencies will have to ensure all the safety precautions during the salvage operations and protect environment or government property from any damages.
The vessel had hit the sand bar off Aguada Bay last weekend during its towing exercise and drifted towards the popular and most frequented Miramar beach. It had left MPT on July 13 despite a warning of bad weather by the Captain of Ports that had also filed an affidavit before the Goa bench of Bombay High Court about the danger to even attempt to bring in the vessel till September 15.
On Sunday, four crew members of whom three were sea sick and one injured were air lifted while the remaining 16 members preferred to stay back on board.
The entire fiasco had upset Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who ordered towing the vessel back to MPT.
Meanwhile, the Aaam Aurat Admi Against Gambling (AAAAG) has strongly condemned the entry of yet another casino M V Lucky 7 in the Mandovi river. “The casino ‘Lucky 7’ got stuck in the sand bar at Miramar beach, injuring crew members and causing environmental damage. The government has once again contributed to the environmental disaster of the state by permitting the entry of the casino in the prohibited period of entry of vessels in Mandovi river by speaking in favour of the casinos in the High Court,” NGO’s Convener Sabina Martins said.
She has appealed the High Court to take suo motto cognizance of the grounding of the off shore casino vessel in the sand bar risking the lives of people and damaging public property and the environment. The NGO also opposed the announcement by Parrikar and the ministers to relocate the casinos from the rivers to the land.
Team TNV