Insurance claims desk set up for victims of Chennai oil spill

The immediate priority for the Directorate General of Shipping is to provide compensation to people such as fishermen affected by oil spill off Chennai coast, caused by a collision between two ships.

The Protection and Indemnity insurers of one of the ships involved in the accident, Dawn Kanchipuram , which was the main polluter, have established a claims desk in Chennai to collect claims of parties affected by the oil spill.

Based on earlier experience in Mumbai, DG Shipping kickstarted the compensation process promptly, without waiting for the investigation report, Malini V Shankar, Director-General of Shipping, told newspersons here today.

The oil tanker Dawn Kanchipuram collided with LPG tanker Maple on January 28 in the channel of Kamarajar port at Ennore near here.

Shankar was on board Dawn Kanchipuram to asses the situation and direct the operations, and met the representatives of both the ships.

The claims desk has been authorised by the insurer to receive claims from affected parties, including Coast Guard, and from those who suffered economic loss or have incurred expenditure in cleaning oil pollution. Investigation is going on with regard to issues such as who is at fault, she said.

Maple , which was leaving the port, hit Dawn Kanchipuram that was coming into the port. The collision ruptured the tank on the left side of Dawn Kanchipuram . As a result, bunker fuel oil from the ship seeped into the sea. The oilspill floated a few km and mainly got deposited at Ernavoor beach in North Chennai.

Shankar said immediately after the incident, the first priority was to bring the ship safely to a berth so that cargo could be discharged and the risk reduced. A total of 26,806 tonnes of motor spirit and 6,008 tonnes of high speed diesel were discharged to shore tanks, she said.

The two vessels have been restrained from leaving the port without permission. Instructions have also been issued by the port and police authorities, she said.

On what charges could be levelled against the ship owners, Shankar said the Merchant Shipping Act provides for civil liabilities but if the enquiry reveals that there was a criminal intent, then it will go to criminal courts.

Specialists from International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Ltd, a specialised international agency on oil spill response, arrived in Chennai on February 1 to look at the response system followed during the collision, Shankar said.

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