In the wake of Sunday’s crude oil leak into the sea near here, the Ministry of Environment and Forests on Thursday ordered the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to close down faulty pipelines in its plant at Uran off the city’s coast. “The faulty pipelines/installation responsible for the oil spill are being immediately closed down under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
A show-cause notice is being issued to the ONGC on why action should not be taken against them under the Act,” said an order from Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan.
The MoEF has also constituted a team headed by J.S. Kamyotra, member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board, to inspect the extent of the oil slick. The team is likely to submit its report by October 14.
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ONGC spokesperson S.K. Pathak refused to comment on the order. “The cleaning process is almost over. There are oil stains on the rocks which will be cleaned within the next few days,” he said.
About 50 families from Peerwadi and Kegaon villages have sought compensation from the ONGC. “We conducted a survey and found that about 50 families were affected by the leak,” said Martand Nakhwa, chairman, Vaishnavi Mata Matsyavyavsay Vividh Karyakati Society.