CAG lambastes govt for delay in removing Princess (Herald)

October 21, 2013 TEAM HERALD PANJIM: The Comptroller and Auditor General’s report which was tabled before the Goa Assembly has criticised the delay in the removal of the grounded M V River Princess, a portion of which continues to remain buried below the seabed and is expected to be removed only by next year. The CAG has censured the government for the long delay in removing the vessel pointing out that this has caused huge financial losses to the government, stakeholders in the tourism sector and taken a huge toll on the environment. It has observed that though the ship was stranded since June 2000, yet it took nine years for the SDMA to declare the grounded ship as a State disaster (March 2009) and that though the ship was forfeited by the State government in January 2002, the department could not arrange to tow away the ship despite awarding the related work thrice between March 2001 and October 2006. After three failed attempts to tow away the ship, the ship could be finally broken and removed from the beach in 2012 at a cost of Rs 99 crore with CFA of Rs 70 crore, the report says. The CAG is extremely critical over the fact that during the intervening period of 12 years, the natural process of sand formation in the monsoons was blocked by the grounded 250 long meter ship owing to which the shoreline of Sinquerim beach was severely eroded by constant lashing of the waves. The report points out that sand dunes, which provided a protective cover to the land, were washed away and a 5,000 sqm beach stretch valued approximately Rs 21 crore was eroded. Due to this destruction, it points out that Sinquerim beach became desolate for tourism during which the stakeholders reported financial losses on account of reduced occupancy in hotels and reduction in tourist arrivals and loss to the tune of Rs 17 crore. The report also notes that measures to restore the beach erosion were also not undertaken. Further, measure to protect the land from sea erosion by the PWD to the tune of Rs 38.87 crore was not awarded as of August 2012. The CAG report also ridiculed the protection measures proposed to have been undertaken using heavy boulders, concrete blocks and tetrapods which would have killed the aesthetic beauty of Sinquerim beach. These measures it says would have resulted in making the area unsuitable for tourism. In the exit conference, the CAG says that the Principal Secretary, Tourism stated that steps would be taken to mitigate the effects of damage caused due to the grounding of the ship. The CAG had earlier observed that the carrier ship named “River Princess” chartered by M/s Salgaocar Mining Industries Ltd, Goa was stranded at Sinquerim beach in June 2000 and that the stranded vessel was considered an environmental hazard affecting the beach stretch from Sinquerim to Calangute. It says, ‘Audit scrutiny of the handling of the issue of removal/breaking of the ship by the tourism department and the environmental impact on account of prolonged grounding of the ship has revealed a huge impact on the environment, financial losses and a huge impact on tourism.’ http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Local%20News/CAG-lambastes-govt-for-delay-in-removing-Princess/80914.html