“The oil is heavy furnace oil, it looks like tar,” the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) informed the National Green Tribunal on Friday, adding that 72 tonnes of oil-mixed sludge had been collected in the last three days.
Lack of transparency and information with regard to the amount of oil spilled on the coast of Chennai has dogged the clean-up efforts since January 28. While the Coast Guard estimates that over 20 tonnes of oil had been spilled, there has been no statement from MT Dawn Kanchipuram on the extent of leakage from the vessel. The TNPCB statement also brings into question the serious health hazard that hundreds of volunteers and conservancy workers, who are clearing the oil spill without adequate safety gear, are facing.
The super sucker machines involved in the operation have failed to have any major impact, counsel for the pollution control board informed the Tribunal.
“Now, are you going to clear it manually? It is so voluminous,” Justice P. Jyothimani asked. Counsel informed that volunteers and more than 1,200 workers are working to remove the oil. Meanwhile, the TNPCB has set up a facility in Ennore to store the collected oil for bio-remediation using bacterial solution, counsel said.
This was the second application that the Tribunal was hearing on the oil spill in the last two days.
When the TNPCB counsel told the Bench comprising Justice P. Jyothimani and expert member P.S. Rao that 72 tonnes of oil-mixed sludge were collected in the last three days, the judge shot back, “First day it was said it was one tonne, now you have admitted you have taken 72 tonnes, then how much is yet to be collected? It could be more than 100 tonnes.”
The Bench has posted the matter for further hearing on February 20 and asked the respondents to file a report before that.
