CHENNAI: Tonnes of thick tar-like oil slick is depositing on the shores of Ernavoor Kuppam, north of Bharathiyar Nagar, where the official machinery is battling to suck out the pollutant for the past one month.
This has raised doubts over the actual quantum of leak and claims made by the Coast Guard and other government agencies that things are under control and 95 percent of the leaked oil has been safely removed.
The Heavy Furnace Oil (HFO)—or bunker oil—that was drifting south, seemed to have disintegrated into tar balls and beached along the east coast till Puducherry.
On Wednesday, the oil slick on the shores of Ernavoor Kuppam, Chinna Kuppam, Periya Kuppam and Thalankuppam, 8 km north of Bharatiyar Nagar. Though these are closer to the collision site, they were unaffected since the currents had dragged the oil down south. Now, fishing activity there has almost come to standstill.
Coast Guard spokesperson Commandant V N Singh said: “The clean-up is ongoing. Prima facie the new oil slick deposit in Ernavur Kuppam was caused due to change in ocean currents and wind pattern. The portion of oil slick from Bharatiyar Nagar must have broken off and drifted north.”
Ernavoor Kuppam houses about 200 fishermen. “I lost `25,000 worth of fishing net as it came in contact with the oil. To escape the oil, we are placing our nets 25 km inside the sea,” said Bobalan, a fisherman.
M V Ramana Murthy, Head of Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management, said if the oil slick is not removed before April, there will be more damage. From April till September, wind and ocean currents will be towards the north, which could take the pollutant into Pulicat and into neighbouring the Andhra Pradesh coast.