33 Goa beaches affected by tarball menace since 2015: Minister

As many as 33 beaches in Goa have been affected by floating tarballs, a product of oil weathered by heat and seawater since 2015, according to the Goa government, which has now urged the Director General (Shipping) for a more coordinated effort by state and central government agencies to rein in the menace.

According to documents tabled by the state Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral in the recently concluded two-day session of the state legislative assembly, among the beaches which have been impacted by the annual menace include those which are extremely popular with tourists namely Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Sinquerim, Morjim, Arambol, Ashwem in North Goa and Varca, Cavelossim, Betalbatim, Benaulim in South Goa

In September this year alone, 12 beaches have been impacted by the tarballs phenomenon, a factor which has concerned the travel and tourism industry stakeholders in the state, which is popular for its beach tourism.

"The state has its own State Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan. The Board had communicated the same to the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Goa regarding the publications of NIO Scientist indicating the source tracing of tarballs to Bombay High region," Cabral told the Goa legislative assembly in a written reply to a question by Opposition MLA Rohan Khaunte.

Tarballs are formed due to a reaction of oil or oily ballast dumped by seagoing vessels, which then reacts with the saline water, creating the formation of tarballs, which then wash ashore. Tarballs regularly wash ashore along the Western coastline causing pollution of beaches and the coastal environment, especially during the monsoons, when the phenomenon peaks.

The state government is now mulling roping in both state and central agencies to tackle the menace, with the Goa State Pollution Control Board advising the state government to "to keep a check on spillages during transportation, waste/burnt oil from DG sets used on vessels leakages from fishing trawlers as mentioned above within the jurisdiction of the state government and also direct the Indian Coast Guard, Goa to keep strict vigil of waters within their jurisdiction".

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