Day four: Authorities still clueless on tackling 20 tonne oil spill at Ennore

Indian Coast Guard officials have estimated that more than 20 tonnes of oil has been spilled from MT Dawn Kanchipuram.

On Tuesday morning, a thick layer of greyish sludge still lapped up rocky cove at Bharathiyar Nagar near Ennore, as a group of young fishermen, waist deep in the oily muck, trained the pipe of the super sucker machine to remove the spillage. In another corner, volunteers and personnel from the Indian Coast Guard formed a human chain, removing the sludge manually and storing it in the massive holding tanks. Later, at 3 pm, a group of people were wrapping up absorbent material in stones and chucking it at the muck, with the hope of mopping up the viscous oil. However, their efforts met with no success. The authorities seem to be at their wit’s end, trying to contain and remove the oil. 

The National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) has clearly spelt out that oil spill up to 700 MT (metric tonnes) is classified as tier-I category, as in case of the Ennore mishap. The accountability, as per the Environmental Impact Assessment master plan of the Kamarajar Port, falls on the Port Authority. However, a visit to Bharathiyar Nagar, clearly indicated that the Port was grappling to deal with the situation. 

Speaking to DTNext, a top official from Kamarajar Port detailed the steps taken so far. “We have used oil spill dispersants to contain oil slicks in the deep sea. Near the shore, oil spill boom to contain the spill and absorbent patches have been used. We have deployed three super suction machines to remove the viscous oil. On February 1, around 2,000 people will be deployed along the shore to clean up the spill, as well as physically pick up the tar balls on the beach,” said the source. 

Meanwhile, local fishermen have been severely affected. Kalai, a fisherman from Palagai Thotikuppam, which is close to the spillage area, said their ability to earn a living has been affected. “Since Saturday, the oil spill has prevented us from going into the sea. The catch that we bring too is not fetching us much, as people are wary of the quality, after the oil spill. The value has dropped drastically, as what we usually sell for Rs 500, is now sold for Rs 100 only. This is affecting our livelihoods drastically,” he concluded. 

At the state Assembly, fisheries minister D Jayakumar assured the house that the oil spill would be contained in a day or two and added that the fishermen whose livelihood was affected by the oil spill would be provided ten days’ compensation for their loss.