BNHS finds fresh on-shore oil spill along Mumbai-Raigarh coast

"We have found good quantity of fresh oil up to six inches in depth along the beaches in Sasvane, Kihim, Revas and Mandava and Alibag along the Mumbai-Raigarh coast," senior scientist at BNHS Deepak Apte told PTI today.

"We are taking samples for analysis. This may be only a beginning of finding the on-shore oil spill as we are already on the job to locate it," Apte said.As part of the anti-oil pollution drive along the coastal regions of Maharashtra following a collision between two cargo ships off the Mumbai coast, the Indian Coast Guard had approached the BNHS yesterday to do an oil spill survey and locate on-shore oil spills in the region and how far it has spread.
Apte, who is leading a team of scientists carrying out the survey, said fresh tar balls were found at a couple of locations although locals claim that tar balls from oil rigs and refineries are found scattered on beaches during monsoons.

More than five batches of scientists from BNHS are on the job along Chowpatty, Gorai and Malad beaches besides backwaters along Sewri and Uran, he said.

"We will be reaching Revdhanda shortly," he added.Two Panamanian cargo ships -- MSC Chitra and Merchant Vessel Khalija -- collided off the Mumbai coast on August 7, causing an oil-spill from one of the vessels.