(a) whether an oil spill was caused near Chennai following collision of two ships;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the steps taken by the Government to clean the oil spill and treatment of the sludge along with the success achieved therein; and
(d) the agencies involved in the cleaning process of the oil spill?
MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)
(a) to (d) Oil spill near Chennai occurred on 28.01.2017 near fairway buoy of M/s Kamarajar Port Limited, Ennore following the collision of outbound vessel Motor Tanker (MT) BW Maple and inbound vessel MT Dawn Kanchipuram. MT Dawn Kanchipuram suffered a rupture, which led to leakage of estimated 150 tons of crude oil (Motor Spirit, High Speed Diesel and other crude) into the sea water. The Government has taken immediate steps to contain and clean up the oil spill. Indian Coast Guard acts as the Central agency for dealing with such disasters as per the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan, 2015. Other agencies involved in the cleaning and tracking the spill include the Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port, State Government and its agencies, Fisheries Development Corporation, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management (ICMAM), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Non-Governmental Organizations, Cadet trainees from Maritime Educational Institutions, etc. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Central Pollution Control Board as well as Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board have inspected the site from time-to-time to review the status of oil spill cleanup. Oil sludge was initially collected using buckets, plastic drums and thereafter using super suction pumps and were transported to the Kamarajar port premises. M/s Kamarajar Port Limited has provided a bio-remediation pit for remediation of oil sludge and oil contaminated sand. Most of the process of cleaning has been completed.
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