CHENNAI: The furnace oil that was spilt on January 29, 2017 along the coast of Chennai by the Indian flagship vessel M T Dawn Kancheepuram after it collided with the Isle of Man flagship BW Maple may not be visible in course of time, as the oil will get emulsified, become denser than sea water and sink, according to an official of the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography.
The source in the institute, which is involved in fingerprinting the oil samples collected from Chennai to confirm its origin and other characteristics, told Express that a part of the oil would have evaporated in the initial stage itself, and the remaining will go through further weathering. A good portion still remains in the sea.
“In course of time, the composites of oil will mix with suspended particles in the sea, which will act as nuclei. This will make its density higher than sea water and start sinking. Hence it won’t be visible. That is one of the reasons for the formation of tar balls,” the expert at NIO said.
This could also mean that the spills noticed along the coast of Mahabalipuram, Puducherry and even Cuddalore could be of the oil spilt along Ennore coast.
The Indian Coast Guard, which is continuously monitoring the coast, said they did spot some of oil patches along the shore in Puducherry and Velankani. “These have been cleared. We have asked the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to study the samples and confirm whether they are linked with the furnace oil spilt by MT Dawn Kanchipuram,” an official said.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board is yet to submit its report to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) directives on compliance after oil spill. The CPCB had issued directives to the State Pollution Control Board on February 7 to monitor the water quality regularly till the water quality was restored to desired levels of overall sea water quality; that is, 0.1mg of oil and grease.
CPCB has also asked TNPCB to provide complete data on coastal waters, done either by the TNPCB or any other organisation. The TNPCB has also been directed to assess the long-term impact of oil spill on flora and fauna, analyse the reasons for collision of ships, and suggest steps to prevent such incidents.