Two ships, the Dawn Kanchipuram and the BW Maple, collided off Ennore on January 28 causing an oil spill of 251.46 tonnes. An investigation by the Directorate General of Shipping has said human error and fatigue among the crew were the primary cause of the accident. According to the report, both ships failed to maintain a dedicated sole visual lookout. And both vessels did not consider the option of using anchors to prevent the collision. More than 35 km of Chennai’s coastline was affected by the oil spill, with Ernavoor as the ‘epicentre’. Blobs of oil were found along the coastline of Puducherry and Devanampattinam too. MT Dawn Kanchipuram reportedly had 584.14 MT of bunker oil. More than 2,000 people, including volunteers, were engaged in the clean-up operations. Fishing activities resumed in late April after the groynes on the shores were cleared of oil slick. The oil spill affected aquatic life the most, with more than 100 Olive Ridley Turtles found dead at the peak of their nesting season.
Also read: Report pegs Ennore oil spill at 251 tonnes
