The impact of the oil spill on mangroves in the Ennore Creek area was assessed during the review of the ongoing oil spillage mitigation work.
When the rivers of Ennore ran oily. (Supplied)
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is in the process of preparing a plan to restore mangroves in Ennore Creek where oil spill mitigation activities were progressing, Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu said on Monday, 18 December.
The restoration would be taken up with the support of specialised agencies like the Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University, and MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Environment, Climate Change and Forest department, said after reviewing the ongoing oil spillage mitigation work in Ennore.
The impact of the oil spill on mangroves in the Ennore Creek area was assessed during the review.
Meanwhile, the four specialised cleaning agencies engaged in the mitigation work have almost completed the removal of floating oil and have started clearing oil deposits from shores, boulders, and oil-laden debris, an official release said.
“Beach cleaning work has been completed in Nettukuppam, Ennore Kuppam and Mugathuvaram Kuppam villages,” the release in Chennai said.
A high-level coordination meeting was also held with all stakeholders on-site by the Additional Chief Secretary to coordinate efforts of various agencies, including the Coast Guard, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), the Health Department, Revenue, Fire and Rescue, Fisheries, TN Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), and the Environment and Forest Department.
The Coast Guard on Sunday, 17 December, said the oil spill off the coast of Tamil Nadu was trapped inside the Ennore Creek area in Chennai and there was “nil” egress.
Coast Guard ships and helicopters immediately responded to the spill on 10 December, and it was appropriately “neutralised”, a Defence release said.
Oil spills mixed with floodwaters were observed in Ernavur in north Chennai. The spills made their way to Ennore Creek and Buckingham Canal.
“Traces of oil were also seen in the coastal waters close to Kosathalaiyar river mouth on 10 December,” said the aforementioned release.
The Coast Guard on Sunday, 17 December, said the oil spill off the coast of Tamil Nadu was trapped inside the Ennore Creek area in Chennai and there was “nil” egress.
Coast Guard ships and helicopters immediately responded to the spill on 10 December, and it was appropriately “neutralised”, a Defence release said.
Oil spills mixed with floodwaters were observed in Ernavur in north Chennai. The spills made their way to Ennore Creek and Buckingham Canal.
“Traces of oil were also seen in the coastal waters close to Kosathalaiyar river mouth on 10 December,” said the aforementioned release.
The oil leak, which is at its worst at the Kosasthalaiyar river, underlines the failures of the state government. It may be noted that the National Green Tribunal, in July 2022, ordered the Environment Department to come up with a detailed project report to study the Ennore Creek and protect wetlands.
“If there was a plan, there would have been measures regarding containing contamination of discharges into the river,” said environmentalist Durga Moorthy.
The Kosasthalaiyar river, with the double carrying capacity of Adyar and Cooum rivers, is a natural water draining system. It is also home to many encroachments, including illegally laid transmission towers and construction debris that have not been properly removed after the erection of towers belonging to The Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited (TANTRANSCO).
The impacted area has now been categorised into four stretches for intensive review and mitigation. Each stretch will be taken care of by a dedicated team to complete the mitigation process by 18 or 19 December, the release said.
The oil spill that happened on 4 December from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) contaminated the Kosasthalaiyar river via the Buckingham Canal.
An oil slick has been formed near the Ennore Creek located on the North of Chennai following heavy rainfall due to Cyclone Michaung which brought 36 hours of incessant rain from 3 December causing severe flooding in the state capital.
The oil spill reached the Bay of Bengal via Ennore Creek, leaving the shores and the water unfit for fishing.
If the layer of oil on the water prevents oxygen permeation, there would be a massive loss of marine life.
The Tamil Nadu government constituted a technical team on 10 December to ascertain the cause of the recent oil leak in the Ennore Creek area.
Based on the team’s report and recommendations of the TNPCB’s field officials, the CPCL has been directed to comply with specific conditions.
Such conditions are remedial measures on war footing to remove oil deposits/oil slick and ensure that all pipelines and tanks have absolutely no leakage.
“If CPCL is found to discharge oil containing water/ polluted water against the norms set out for industries under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, their operations are liable to be suspended.”
The CPCL shall also be liable to pay compensation, which includes environmental compensation for damage to families adversely hit by oil spills and loss of livelihood.
The CPCL must undertake a comprehensive mapping study with a reputed technical institution to identify oil spread areas and furnish the report action plan. It must ensure that no such leak happens in future, the TNPCB said in its report filed in the NGT-Southern bench.
(With PTI inputs)
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