Mumbai: There were no reports of fresh oil
spill from a cargo ship which collided with another vessel off
the Mumbai coast even as anti-pollution operations are still
on to neutralise the oil effect, Coast Guard officials said
Tuesday.
"No fresh oil spill was reported ever since the fuel
stopped trickling out from one of the merchant vessel Chitra`s
tanks," said S P S Basra, IG, Coast Guard (Western Region).
"It is good to see no further spill but our
anti-pollution operation is underway today as well. Wherever
we are finding thick oil patches, we are spraying chemical
dispersals to neutralise the oil effect," he said adding there
is no further tilting of the vessel.
However, the traffic suspended at Mumbai harbour is yet
to be restored, Basra added.
Two Panamanian cargo ships, MSC Chitra and MV
Khalija-111, collided on Saturday off the Mumbai coast causing
an oil spill from one of the vessels. However, no casualties
were reported.
Thirty three crew members, including two Pakistanis, were
rescued following the incident.
Six coastguard vessels and a helicopter with
anti-pollution dispersal spray systems were pressed into
service to contain the oil spill.
Atleast 31 containers with hazardous chemicals,
including organo-phosphorous pesticides, sodium hydrochloride
and pyrethroid pesticides are on board and quite a few of them
might have tumbled into the sea and their contents leaked, a
coast guard official had said.
More than 300 containers had hurled into the water.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) authorities have
been asked not to use sea water for cooling purposes at the
premier atomic establishment, the official added.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had also undertaken an
aerial survey of the affected area yesterday and advised
people against fishing in the affected area as marine life
around the city was bound to be affected by the oil slick.
Meanwhile, the coastal districts of Maharashtra have been
put on alert as the oil slick has spread to Alibaug and Uran
areas, and also close to Elephanta caves amid concerns that it
may also damage the rich mangrove belt along the coastline.
PTI
