Kamal calls ongoing oil spill cleaning works using ‘bathroom buckets’ a shame

CHENNAI: Calling the ongoing oil spill removal using bathroom buckets through fishermen a shame, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan on Sunday wondered why the country that sends rockets to the Moon and Mars doesn't have the equipment to remove oil spills.

After visiting the CPCL oil spill affected Ennore Creek and Kosasthalaiyar on Sunday, Haasan said that the company responsible for the oil spill should bring the machinery required for cleaning activities at its own cost.

Pointing to the NGT order to remove the oil spill by December 17, he said that the spill should have been removed by today (Sunday).

"One cannot wash one's hands blaming nature for the oil spill. Even in the next 17 days, the cleaning work cannot be completed. People working to remove the oil are not experts but fishermen. To remove the oil, they don't have any machinery or equipment but only have bathroom buckets. It is inhumane to give buckets to fishermen to scoop the oil with bare hands, " he said.

Haasan said that pointing fingers at each other for the oil spill is not acceptable.

"Fishermen should not be involved in the oil spill removal works. The company should engage experts at their own cost, " he said, demanding the state government initiate severe action against the company for causing such deadly pollution. "Only if strict actions are initiated, such incidents will not be repeated in the future, " he said.

On the question of compensation to be paid to the fishermen, he said that the state government would be doing its part but the company which caused the damages should pay for it and own responsibility for the cleaning operation.