Tamil Nadu government has roped in the Mumbai-based Sea Care Marine Services, an oil spillage response service company, to lend their expertise on oil spill mitigation work at Ennore in North Chennai. Six trained officials from the company have been deployed, according to a State government release.
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Meanwhile, IIT Madras has commenced its study to estimate the quantity of oil available in the water.
The release said the State level oil crisis management group led by the Chief Secretary, Shiv Das Meena, on Friday, reviewed the Ennore oil spill mitigation works with senior officers and teams on the ground.
So far, 276 barrels containing 48.6 tonne of oil waste were collected containing approximately 15 tonne of oil.
The oil, reportedly stored inside industries in Manali, was said to have been washed out by the recent rains and had entered the Ennore creek on December 10.
The next day, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board directed Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd to identify hotspots in the Buckingham Canal, Ennore Creek, and adjoining areas where the oil deposits/oil slick are stagnated and take necessary remedial measures on war footing basis.
It also said that CPCL shall be liable to pay environmental compensation and directed the company to pay compensation to the families adversely impacted due to the oil spillage.
Cleaning work in nearby villages of Ennore Kuppam, Nettu Kuppam & Thalan Kuppam was going on with full intensity with the help of JCBs and dipper trucks. The oil laden debris was cleaned out from the mitigated villages
A total number of 482 people were deployed so far for the oil spillage work, apart from the deployment of the following machineries of 5 gully suckers, 7 JCBs, 4 Poclains and 14 dipper trucks, the release said.
The State Government constituted a 20-member State of Oil Spill Crisis Management Group to mitigate the oil spill in Ennore-Manali.