Recover cost for oil spillage by Sahara’s cruise: NGT to Goa PCB

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Goa State Pollution Control Board (PCB) to recover cost for environmental damage caused by the cruise ship ‘MV Qing’ owned by Sahara Group. There was oil spillage from the ship during its berthing.

The ship ‘MV Qing’ was chartered by Trinity Leisure Pvt Ltd and brought to Western India Shipyard to be converted into a hotel in 2014. After the oil spill, there was a marine environmental threat. The court issued notices to the respondents in 2016. According to the Goa state PCB, the pollution was being caused by the mixing of fuel oil in the marine environment. In 2017, the NGT directed the Sahara Group to submit a remediation cost of Rs 1 crore. A week later, the respondent was allowed to submit Rs 30 lakh.

The bench has noted that the issue is resolved since the ship has been removed, now the owner is liable to pay for environmental damages caused.