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A third tourism season is set to begin, but still the ship, mv River Princess, lies grounded off the Goa coast.
The cargo ship ran aground approximately 200 metres from the famous Candolim-Calangute-Baga stretch of beach in 2000, but any attempt to break the ship will severely damage not only the environment, but also tourism in Goa.
The ship, which has a ruptured bottom, had caused an oil spill in 2000, and the authorities have not ruled out the possibility of more such spills, if the wreck is not handled with care. Cracks have already developed in the hull as well as the vessel's bottom.
The ship's owner, Anil Salgaocar, had proposed that the River Princess be cut into pieces and transported to land, but Goa Tourism Director N Suryanarayan rejected the proposal. "The very idea of cutting the ship will drive away tourists from Goa," he said.
The Goa government has also decided not to break the ship in the sea, but to try and refloat it. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, "We can definitely tow it away seawards without causing any damage to tourism."
The good news is that the state authorities are now almost relieved of all legal hassles connected with the wreck, except a petition filed in the Bombay high court by the Candolim village panchayat.
While the high court order is expected next week, the state is simultaneously planning to invite tenders on refloating the ship.
It is easier said than done, however. Refloating the ship and towing it away will prove a real challenge for the authorities after renowned firms expressed their inability to help with the task.
But even if the high court gives its verdict in the case next week, authorities fear that the actual work of refloating the ship will begin only by the end of October, which is the peak time for tourism in Goa.
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