Oil spill case: charges filed, captains summoned

As the clean-up operations along Chennai’s coastline enters the sixth day, the police on Friday registered cases against the managements of the two ships which collided last week, resulting in an oil spill. Based on the report on filed by officials at Kamarajar Port, the police booked the cases and summoned the captains of MT Dawn Kanchipuram and MT BW Maple. Cases were registered under six sections, including sections on polluting the sea.

With the Madras High Court stating that it was for the central and the state governments to take appropriate steps, officials from the Tamil Nadu Coastal Security Group have detained the vessels. “We have detained both the ships till we get further orders”, a senior official aid.

Operation intensified
Also, a senior official at Kamarajar Port told DH that officials from the Directorate General of Shipping were conducting a detailed inquiry. On Friday, too, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Varad with integral helicopter was deployed throughout the day for spill assessment and neutralisation.

ICG (East) Inspector General Rajan Bargotra said about 34,000 square metres of the sea were affected due to oil spill. Bargotra said oil patches near the shore have to be removed manually. MT Dawn Kanchipuram, carrying  petroleum oil lubricants (POL) and MT BW Maple, loaded with LPG, collided near Kamarajar harbour off north Chennai in the early hours of Saturday. Soon after the mishap, several tonnes of crude oil from MT Dawn spilled into the sea, polluting the Chennai coast – a 31 km stretch.