Oil leakage from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) refinery has not stopped yet. Almost a week has passed since the oil leak from the refinery. Coast Guard officials said the oil spill off Chennai has now spread over an area of more than 20 square kilometers in the sea.
Also read
Ennore Creek, an eco-sensitive from Chennai, says the damage is getting worse. Oil floats in the Kosthalier River. Tar balls and thick layers of oil can be seen at many places along the coast. Oil slicks can also be seen on beaches and fishing boats.
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board during its investigation found deficiencies in adequate storm water management system at CPCL. This led to an oil spill amid flooding during Cyclone Mijom last week.
“There is not a single fish in the area now, they are all dead. Our livelihood is gone,” said Suresh, a fisherman.
Spill containment methods such as oil boomers, skimmers, and gully suckers are eventually introduced to prevent spills. However, environmentalist Nithyananda Jayaraman said it was too late… “They should have deployed oil boomers earlier and stopped the spill, but they delayed the investigation too much,” he said. The environmentally sensitive “Gulf will now suffer the most.”
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has directed CPCL to map oil spill hotspots and implement remedial measures. Strict instructions have been issued to ensure zero leakage, violation of which threatens suspension of operations.
Officials say they are working to compensate people who suffered property damage or health risks after oil-contaminated floodwaters entered hundreds of homes during flooding caused by Cyclone Mijom’s vent. After this, residents of many areas reported breathing problems and skin rashes and infections.
Also Read: Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma become MLAs for the first time, are close to RSS