The upcoming International Multi-purpose Deepwater Seaport at Vizhinjam here will be the first port in the State to have Facility Level Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan in line with the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP).
The preparation of the contingency plan involves detailing the port structures, port vessel types that will operate in the region, the fuel they use, chemicals and fuels they will carry, and assessment of the chances of oil or chemical spill even in remote cases. The contingency plan will enable the port authorities to utilise resources at hand to deal with any accident or emergency situation.
PPP dream
The Adani Vizhinjam Ports Private Ltd (AVPPL), the multi-port operator tasked with the execution of the ambitious project, has entrusted the preparation of the OSDC plan to KITCO Ltd, the premier public sector technical consultancy agency.
The contingency plan is in the final stages of approval and this will enable the port authorities to have all the equipments, resources and people to handle any emergency situation, according to KITCO officials.
The plan will also detail the likely trajectory in the event of an accident, rescue measures to be undertaken, and preventive steps to avoid accidents.
The contingency plan being worked out for Vizhinjam seaport assumes significance, as none of the ports across the State have the facility level contingency plans.
Kerala also does not have a State-level oil disaster contingency plan in place.
KITCO Ltd has been chosen as the agency to prepare contingency plan considering its track record in the framing the State-level oil disaster contingency plan for Gujarat.
KITCO is also undertaking a port-level Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan for the Marine Infrastructure Developer Pvt Ltd project of Adani group in Kattupalli Port in Chennai.
KITCO has been tasked with preparation of the Oil Spill Disaster Contingency plan for the transport of cargo through Ganges.
Increasing spills
“It is mandatory, as oil spills are increasing,” an official of Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL) said.
The importance of oil spill disaster plans assumed significance with the BP Oil spill of April 2010 that resulted in 11 deaths and release of million barrels of crude oil in the Gulf for over three months.
