Ennore oil spill is 20 tonnes: Coast Guard
The coast guard has disputed the Ennore port estimate on the oil spill, saying that no less than 20 tonnes of oil has been spilled into the sea off Tamil Nadu's coast. The Coast Guard has dispatched special ships to spread chemicals to disperse the spill. The spill has also affected inland waterways and sewers in the city.
Ship collision off Ennore port leads to oil spill
On the morning of 28 January, the MT BW Maple from the Isle of Man was leaving the Ennore port, while the MT Dawn, an Indian ship loaded with petroleum oil lubricant was entering the port for berthing. The ships collided, however, authorities said the incident was minor. There was a significant delay in controlling the situation as authorities only assessed a 1-tonne spill.
Crack develops along ship
Due to the delay in controlling the situation, a minor crack that developed on one of the ships' expanded leading to a significant leakage of fuel and oil. Over 3 days the oil spread across the Tamil Nadu coastline.
Action taken by officials
After reports of oil slicks along several coastlines, authorities and NGOs began work to clean up the spill. The Coast Guard dispatched ships as well as manual cleaning operations in various locations. Over 200 volunteers from NGOs also began operations to manually clean up the spill. Authorities said local fishermen also helped authorities clean oil from beaches and ports.
Oil affects business and environment
People reported that several turtles washed up along the shore in various locations across the state. Several dead fish washed up along the shore in northern Tamil Nadu. Fishermen in the state have demanded action saying their nets don't go underwater as the surface was thick with oil. They added that people stopped buying fish due to the spill, affecting sales.
Experts say spill will disperse soon
Experts from the Ocean Science and Information Services Group said "Since the quantity of oil is less and the cleanup process is on, the slick may disperse in the next two weeks and may not move beyond the TN coast."
Ennore oil spill is 20 tonnes: Coast Guard
The coast guard has disputed the Ennore port estimate on the oil spill, saying that no less than 20 tonnes of oil has been spilled into the sea off Tamil Nadu's coast. The Coast Guard has dispatched special ships to spread chemicals to disperse the spill. The spill has also affected inland waterways and sewers in the city.
Chennai's oil spill clean-up nears completion
The pollution response team of the Indian Coast Guard has removed 50 tonnes of sludge, five days after Chennai's major oil spill polluted its coast. Commandant Pradeep B Mandal, incharge of the clean-up, said another 20 tonnes of sludge was estimated to be afloat. According to Mandal, at least two more days will be required to clear out the slick.
Authorities confront Chennai's oil-spill, wary of an ecological disaster
Ennore coast's rapidly spreading oil-spill has impacted livelihoods of fishermen and has threatened the coast's aquatic biodiversity and has also raised questions about the genuineness of authorities responsible for clearing the mess. Different reports have released different numbers for the tonnes of oil spilled into the ocean. The longer oil slicks are allowed to spread, the more difficult it becomes to contain them.
TN CM to review oil spill clean up
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam reached Ennore port to assess clean-up operations after the oil spill. He said "It is an extraordinary situation...More than 5700 people took part in the clean-up operations." So far, 65 tonnes of sludge has been removed and 90% of the work has been completed. Panneerselvam added that fishermen would be compensated for their losses.
