CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government and Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) on Thursday informed the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that emergency oil recovery work in the Ennore creek has been completed, while work in the mangrove area would take some more time and experts have been roped-in. However, both parties continued to cross swords over the source of the oil spill.
The CPCL, which according to the state is responsible for the incident, remained adamant that it did not cause the oil spill. However, it has paid the Rs 7.54 crore sought as compensation by the state.
On December 19, SK Prabakar, Commissioner of Revenue Administration and State Relief Commissioner, wrote to the managing director of CPCL to pay Rs 7,53,70,000 as compensation for the loss of livelihood of fishermen. The Greater Chennai Corporation estimated that 6,700 houses were affected by flood water contaminated by the spill.
Beaches in two Pulicat villages cleaned up, others to be cleared soon: TNPCB
The fisheries commissioner estimated that about 2,300 fisher families and 787 fishing nets were affected. Subsequently, it was decided that CPCL would pay Rs 7,500 per family whose house was affected by the contaminated flood water and Rs 12,500 per fisher family, whose livelihood was hit.
A compensation of Rs 10,000 each is to be paid to 787 boat owners. In all, the compensation amounts to Rs 8,68,70,000, of which Rs 7,53,70,000 will be settled by CPCL and the remaining will be taken out of the State Disaster Relief Fund.
Accordingly, CPCL transferred the compensation amount to the account of the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority. In the letter to the Chief Secretary, CPCL managing director Arvind Kumar said, “CPCL, as a responsible corporate entity and a key participant in the industrial landscape of Tamil Nadu, is committed to the sustainable welfare and development of all stakeholders.”
During the NGT hearing, CPCL’s counsel argued that there are several other industrial establishments in the Manali area and numerous workstations where oil was stored in open drums that got washed away during the floods. The NGT bench, comprising of judicial member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member K Satyagopal, posted the case to January 11 and sought reports from the teams assessing the quantum of oil spill.
Moreover, as part of the state government’s timeline for clean-up of the mangrove area and bio-remediation work, a team from the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa has arrived in city. Meanwhile, a status report from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) said that beaches in Koraikuppam and Koonankuppam villages in Pulicat, where oily waste had been deposited, have been cleaned up.
Beaches in Kattukuppam, Kalanji and Karingali areas will also be cleared of tar balls, the board said. IIT Madras has taken up a study comprising of a complete assessment of the quality of oil spillage, physical measurements of oil depths in the canals, water and sediments, flow models to assess the discharge and occupational safety of workers in Ennore creek, Buckingham canal, and Kosasthaliyar River. Officilas from IIT Madras have collected samples and are in the process of preparing a report.