Polluter says Chennai oil spill clean-up and restoration over but residue very much visible

In a bizarre move, the ‘polluter’ MT Dawn Kancheepuram claimed that the entire clean-up on the Ennore-Chennai coast, which suffered irreparable ecological damage after the spill, is completed.
A good amount of oil slick is trapped between groynes and sedimentary rocks in Ernavoor Kuppam and surrounding areas. | Express Photo Service
A good amount of oil slick is trapped between groynes and sedimentary rocks in Ernavoor Kuppam and surrounding areas. | Express Photo Service

CHENNAI: In a bizarre move, the ‘polluter’ MT Dawn Kancheepuram on Wednesday claimed that the entire clean-up and restoration work on the Ennore-Chennai coast, which suffered irreparable ecological damage after the oil spill, have been completed.

A simple reality check done by Express reveals the work is far from over.

Several soft pockets on the Ennore coast still remain polluted. A good amount of oil slick is trapped between groynes and sedimentary rocks in Ernavoor Kuppam and surrounding areas. Even in Bharathiyar Nagar, where the first impact was felt and tonnes of pollutant was scooped out, the bottom layer of groynes still bears testimony to the disaster.

Clean-up only in hotspots?

Local fishermen have complained that the clean-up activity was carried out only in the designated hotspots, where the spill was evident and overreaching but interior areas and places where there is less public scrutiny have been ignored. Diwakar, a fisherman at Ernavoor Kuppam, said the job is only half done because there are several areas along the coast where the oil is trapped.

Tarunveer Singh Khehar, son of Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar, who represented MT Dawn Kanchipuram along with senior counsel Vasudevan, submitted before the southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT), comprising Justice P Jyothimani and expert member PS Rao, that 20 hotspots were identified for clean-up and restoration and that the work is complete and manpower demobilised.

This claim was disputed by Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) counsel GM Syed Nurullah Sheriff. He asked who had certified them that the work was completed and met the requisite standards. In reply, the tribunal has directed the officials of environment ministry and the Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to inspect the sites and file a status report.

Critics lambast perpetrators

Interestingly, the expert committee constituted by the Department of Environment, Tamil Nadu, to look into the short-term and long-term restoration process and assess the environment impact only meets on April 4 and is yet to submit the report.

Ridiculing the MT Dawn Kancheepuram claim, RS Vasan, regional director, National Maritime Foundation, said it is just an attempt to shirk responsibility.

“Anyone can claim anything, which has no meaning. An authorised agency should audit the work done and certify it. Restoration takes years. Specialised divers should be sent to probe the seabed for residue and sediment deposits. Institutes like National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) should be engaged. They should not be allowed to get away unless everything is restored to its original shape,” he said.

Activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar, who was present, expressed apprehension before the tribunal by asking whether the bio-remediation of a whopping 300 tonnes recovered is being done in an environment-friendly manner and what can be done about the ill-effects of oil on the seabed.

The tribunal has asked the TNPCB to assess the situation and the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management to conduct a study on seabed pollution. The case has been postponed and will be heard on July 8.

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