Sea off south Chennai is mostly cleared of oil spill

The Indian Coast Guard has said, the sea off south Chennai is mostly cleared of the oil spill and is safe for fishing. The agency coordinating the removal of oil spill said, the clean-up operation that began eight days back following a collision of an LPG tanker and another carrying petroleum oil lubricants near the Kamarajar Port at Ennore close to Chennai would be over in another week. 

Oil slicks spread over a vast area spanning from Ennore to Elliott's Beach in Besant Nagar and beyond. However, Inspector General of the Eastern Command of the Coast Guard, Rajan Bargotra told media, the southern coastal areas



of Chennai are almost cleared of the sludge though the coastal line of a village called RK Nagar Kuppam in the north of Chennai still remains converged with oil sludge. 

Inter-governmental agencies are actively involved in clearing the oil slick from the sea surface, which is expected to be continuing for over a week in northern Chennai. In the coastal clean up near Ennore, hundreds of local people and youth volunteers are also involved.The two ships involved in the accident are berthed off the Kamarar Port. Inquiries instituted by the port authorities and the Directorate of Shipping are underway.