A cargo vessel which sunk off the Mumbai harbour Thursday has been leaking oil, an official said Sunday.
"Oil has been observed leaking from the sunken vessel Rak Carrier since late Saturday at an approximate rate of 1.5-2 tonnes per hour," a Coast Guard official said.
"Coast Guard ship Samudra Prahari on patrol immediately responded and used oil spill dispersant to neutralise the spilled oil. Operation 'Paryavaran Suraksha' has also been launched by the Coast Guard," he added.
According to the official, an aerial recce conducted Sunday morning indicated spread of oil up to seven nautical miles from the sunken vessel.
The Coast Guard has pressed another vessel, ICGS Sankalp, in the area, he added.
However, the coastal authorities have been advised to maintain strict vigil. "State authorities have also been advised to direct fishermen to refrain from fishing in the vicinity of the affected area," the official said.
The ship MT Rak Carrier, laden with 60,000 tonnes of coal and 340 tonnes of fuel and diesel, sank Thursday afternoon, raising apprehensions of an ecological hazard.
The 30 crewmen aboard -- all Indonesians, Jordanians and Romanians -- were rescued in a coordinated effort by the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.
The Panama-flagged ship, owned and managed by M/s. Delta Shipping Marine Services, Qatar, was on a voyage from Lubuk-Tutung, Indonesia to Dahej Port in Gujarat, carrying a consignment of coal meant for Adani Enterprises Ltd.
Two top officials of the cargo vessel were Saturday arrested and later released on bail by a Mumbai court.
The duo -- Jordanian Capt. Arkan Younis, 36, and Romanian chief engineer Eonascho Eon, 54 -- were nabbed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 336, pertaining to endangering life or personal safety of others.
Maharashtra Government in readiness to tackle pollution
The Maharashtra government is prepared to tackle any pollution from the m.v. Rak Carrier which sank on Thursday about 20 nautical miles off Mumbai.
State Environment secretary Valsa Nair Singh said that the vessel was carrying coal which did not pose a pollution problem. The ship was on voyage from Indonesia to Port Dahej (Gujarat) carrying about 60, 054 Metric tonnes of Coal.
Threat posed
However, the vessel was reported to have about 290 tonnes of fuel oil and 50 tonnes of diesel oil which could pose a threat if the tanks raptures
This is the third incident involving a ship off the coast of Mumbai. While two ships found their way to the city's beaches, the m.v. Rak Carrier sank off its coast.
Last year, a major oil spill occurred when two Panamanian ships collided off the coast of Mumbai, leaving parts of its coast full of oil and ruining the mangroves Once the ship has settled at the bottom of the sea, the salvors could pump out the oil.
Salvage operations will be difficult to undertake due to the rough weather and tidal conditions because of the monsoons. This means, Mumbai will have to keep its fingers crossed, hoping the oil lead is kept at bay and the vessel stays intact.
Food chain
Last August, after MSC Chitra and MV Khalija collided off the Mumbai coast, the oil spill spread not just to the coast of Mumbai, but as far as Raigad and Elephanta, damaging the mangrove belt in and around Mumbai city, contaminating shores, and even threatening fishing activity.
"When the oil sinks, it enters into the food chain. The algae imbibe the oil and that may affect the entire marine ecology
Breeding season
"It is quite close to the shoreline and there is not much distance separating the oil from the beaches and mangroves. Since this is the breeding season, this is the most vulnerable time of the year," said Debi Goenka, an environmentalist.
Loss to Marine Life
On physical inspection, it has been revealed that there is furnace oil in the Juhu coast at specific locations. Lab analysis will ascertain the source of the oil. Any loss to marine life will be ascertained by the National Institute of Oceanography, as requested by the MPCB,” read a statement of state’s environment department.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
The The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) says it has initiated the measures to clean up the area.
(BMC) says it has initiated the measures to clean up the area.
The BMC informed that the oil pollution at Juhu beach is mainly confined to a stretch of 750 metres, which usually occurs during high tide.
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