A team of Asian Marine Conservation Association (AMCA) has studied the impact of the oil spill that occurred on Chennai coast on the east coast.
According to secretary general and chief scientist of the Kolkata-based AMCA Anupam Ghosh, samples of sea water and sediment were collected at nine points from the Fishing Harbour to Bheemunipantam for the study. Their impact on coastal ecosystem, mainly fisheries and coastal aquaculture system, would be studied, he told reporters here. The team, comprising D. Chaudhary, Viplav Ghosh and N.E. Kabir, came here on February 11 for the study.
It also interacted with the faculty of the Chemistry Department of Andhra University. It will also study the impact of the spill at Puri and Paradeep. “The report will be ready in three months and it will be submitted to the Ministry of Earth Sciences,” Dr. Anupam Ghosh said.
Stating that AMCA had been working on marine conservation since 1991 carrying out research, he said the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan of 1996 was updated in 2006.
Even washing of oil tankers in the sea would cause pollution at ports, he said. Besides at confluence of the river with sea, pollutants would find their way to agricultural fields during high tide.
To effectively deal with oil spills, Commission of Maritime Investigation should be formed at the State and Central-levels, AMCA demands.
