Panaji, Oct 29 (IANS): The Congress in Goa on Tuesday demanded action against the officials who allowed an unmanned tanker carrying naphtha to drift and later run aground off the Panaji coast, because of the threat of a potential "ecological disaster" which the vessel now poses to the coastal state.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji, spokesperson of the opposition party Trajano D'Mello said that transferring the 2500 odd tons of naphtha and other inflammable fuels from the stranded tanker Nu Shi Nalini, does not mean the end of danger to the Panaji coastline, especially if the vessel, which ran aground on a rocky shelf nearly two nautical miles off the shore, breaks up.

"No coercive action seems to have been taken either by the state or the Central government, against those officials who are culpable and allowed this accident to happen. It could have led to an ecological disaster. It appears that the experience of MV River Princess has not taught the administration anything till today," D'Mello said.

MV River Princess, a merchant vessel was washed aground on the shores of the Candolim beach in North Goa in 2000 and it took the Goa government well over a decade to dismantle the ship after several failures. The presence of the vessel resulted in severe sand erosion along the popular Baga-Sinquerim beach stretch visited by thousand of tourists and locals every day.

The tanker ran aground on Saturday on the rocky shelf and has not moved since then.

According to officials involved in the joint operation, no oil spillage has been reported in the vicinity of the vessel yet, even as the Indian Coast Guard has stationed one oil spill response vessel onsite in case of emergency.

Nu Shi Nalini was anchored five nautical miles off Goa's coast last Thursday (Oct 24), on the instructions of the Mormugao Port Trust, which runs Goa's only major port, when weather experts had forecast stormy conditions off the coastline.

The Goa government has already filed a First Information Report and the police is investigating the aspect of criminal negligence which could have led to the accident.

A multi-agency operation involving the Navy, Coast Guard, Director General Shipping, Mormugao Port Trust and other state agencies is underway to transfer the naphtha and nearly 50 tons of oil and 19 tons of diesel to other tankers.

D'Mello however said, that while transferring the tanker's contents would mitigate the damage, there was fear about the ship breaking up.

"Apart from emptying the ship, even if it does minimise the damage, it will not stop the damage to the environment in case the ship breaks up," D'Mello said.