Mumbai oil spill now an environmental disaster
Mumbai: The oil leak from the sinking cargo vessel MSC Chitra has been plugged with the Indian Coast Guard saying Operation Chitra has been successful and the ship has been stabilised. But nearly 800 tonnes of oil is already believed to have leaked out into the Arabian Sea and has been seen floating close to the coastline threatening marine life.
There are eight main fuel tanks on board the ship and two of these tanks leaked tonnes of oil into the sea. Coast Guard helicopters have been spraying anti-dispersants to prevent the oil spill from spreading. A team from Holland has also been called in to help in containing the spill.
MSC Chitra was also carrying 1219 containers out of which 31 had hazardous chemicals like pesticides. In the last three days approximately 400 containers have slipped into the sea. The oil spill has already spread over an area of 25 square kilometers and the hazardous chemicals and pesticides may affect about 200 species of marine life. Mangroves off Navi Mumbai are in danger of being destroyed and the debris caused by the collision of ships may pose navigational problems.
Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board is looking into the possible oil poisoning and pollution along the coastline and the Directorate General of Shipping will conduct an enquiry into the causes of the accident and the Mumbai Port Trust will collate information on claims settlement.
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has been advised not to use sea water to cool its reactors as it might contain oil and toxic substances. The BMC has advised people against eating sea fish as a precaution.
Maharashtra Environment Minister Suresh Shetty claimed that steps were being taken to deal with the oil leak and the threat that it posses.
"We are already taking precautions and have given orders to collect water samples," said Shetty.
He said that MSC Chitra also carried pesticides in 31 containers but hoped that they had not fallen into the sea.
"These 31 containers that were there which contained pesticides are at the bottom of the vessel and they are hoping that there was no contact with those containers and the water," he said.
"We have lodged an FIR against both the shipping companies. The captains were called by the police for interrogation and we have checked their insurance papers," he added.
Six Coast Guard ships have been employed to safely shift the containers that fell off MSC Chitra after it collided with MV Khalijia-III outside the Mumbai harbour, barely five km from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust.
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