Oil spill situation under control: Chavan

Even as the Centre today termed the oil spill off Mumbai coast as a "big disaster", Maharashtra government said the situation was completely under control as Coast Guard officials had plugged the leakages.

"The situation is under control now. I was briefed by Coast Guard officials that the leakage from where the oil was spilling out from MSC Chitra has been plugged yesterday and no further oil spill has been reported," chief minister Ashok Chavan said.

To a query, Chavan said it is estimated that between 400-500 metric tonnes of oil might have spilled from the vessel. He was speaking to reporters after reviewing the oil spill situation at the Coast Guard headquarters in Worli.

However, the chemical dispersion exercise is underway, he said, adding, the experts from a Singapore firm, who arrived here, have started their operations related to the oil spill.

"The exercise to remove the remaining oil from MSC Chitra will be initiated by respective agencies from August 13," Chavan said.

A decision regarding the restoration of traffic at Mumbai harbour would be taken after a review meeting with respective agencies soon, he added.

Two Panamanian cargo ships-- MSC Chitra and Merchant Vessel Khalija--had collided off the Mumbai coast on August 7, causing an oil-spill from one of the vessels.

The Centre today said it will not shirk from its responsibility and make every effort to clean the polluted water as soon as possible.

"We have technology. We will try to clean the water as soon as possible," Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan told reporters in New Delhi.

Terming the spill as "a big disaster", he said the Centre was monitoring the entire situation "at the level of Cabinet secretary" and was in touch with the Maharashtra government.