CHENNAI: Nearly a year after an oil spill polluted the Ennore Creek and Kosasthalaiyar river, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has demanded Rs 73 crore as compensation from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL).
The submission was made before the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday. The oil spill occurred in December 2023, when heavy rain caused by cyclone Michaung triggered severe flooding in Chennai.
CPCL’s oil storage facilities were compromised, resulting in release of oil into several critical waterbodies, including the Kosasthalaiyar river, Buckingham canal, and Ennore Creek. The oil spill extended to nearby residential areas, severely contaminating the local ecosystem and impacting the lives of communities in Ernavoor and Sathyamoorthy Nagar.
TNPCB reported that approximately 517 tonnes of oil was spilled based on conservative estimates, while the maximum spill could be as high as 2,569T.
In its submission to NGT, the pollution control board explained that the compensation amount was derived from expert assessments conducted by IIT Madras and the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa. TNPCB proposed that Rs 35.43 crore should be spent on addressing socio-economic damages, including losses faced by fishermen, while Rs 38.24 crore should be allocated for restoring environmental damage.
However, the Water Resources Department challenged the compensation figure, arguing that the amount was insufficient given the extent of the damage.
The NGT bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal K, directed all parties to submit additional reports and objections by January 24, the next date of the hearing. The tribunal is currently hearing the case on a suo motu basis, responding to the widespread ecological impact of the spill.
The environmental impact assessment conducted by IIT Madras uncovered alarmingly high levels of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons in both soil and water samples collected from the affected areas.