The Hindu : Karnataka News : Tests rule out oil spill off Tannirbhavi

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Friday, Oct 12, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Tests rule out oil spill off Tannirbhavi

Jaideep Shenoy

— Photo: By Special Arrangement

The Eritrean ship mv Den Den which sank off the Tannirbhavi coast near Mangalore.

MANGALORE: Tests conducted by experts from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) here have negated intense speculation of ecological disaster off Tannirbhavi coast.

The tests were conducted following rumours of an oil spill from mv Den Den, an Eritrean vessel which sank in the area on June 23 this year. Three sailors died in the incident.

The vessel has 120 tonnes of furnace oil on board and it is feared that leakage could affect marine ecology in a vast area around it and hit fishermen adversely.

The authorities, however, have said that they have equipment to handle the oil leak, if any. Speculation is attributed to wave action on the shore edge which leads to soapy formation.

Ramesh Kumar, environmental officer, KSPCB, told The Hindu here on Thursday that scientific officer Jayaprakash S. Nayak and a teaching faculty from the College of Fisheries R.J. Katti visited Tannirbhavi area for a first-hand assessment of the situation.

“Prof. Katti examined soil/water samples and found no evidence which suggested an oil leak,” he said.

Close watch

Mr. Nayak said Deputy Director of Fisheries Suresh Kumar also visited the spot but did not find anything amiss.

Oil pollution control experts from Yojaka Marine, who specialise in pollution control, have been camping at the spot while authorities from the New Mangalore Port Trust and the Coast Guard too are keeping a watch on the situation, he noted.

At least 10 boats were seen carrying out fishing activity in the vicinity indicating everything was alright.

“If there had been a leak, the fish would have moved out from the area,” Mr. Nayak said.

Sources in the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) said it had been receiving calls about an oil spill for some time now. Leakage of furnace could not be hidden. “This dense, black product stands out and is different in character compared to non-persistent oil such as petrol,” the sources said.

A ship passing by could have shed non-persistent oil during cleaning process, the sources said. Some of this oil may have been washed ashore and people could have mistaken it for an oil spill, the sources added.

On the steps taken to salvage the wreckage of Den Den, the sources said the owners have submitted a letter to NMPT that an international salvage team would visit the spot soon to commence work, including removing the oil on board the ship and the wreckage.

Asserting that the anti-pollution control cell in the port would assist the local authorities in dealing with an oil spill if it occurred, the sources expressed the confidence that experts deployed by the owners of Den Den would ensure ecological safety of the area.

“They have oil dispersants and sucking pumps,” the sources added.

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