Pollution Control Board to decide on action soon

PARADEEP PORT WOES

The Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) will decide on the next course of action against the Paradeep Port Trust (PPT) authorities for their failure to check marine pollution arising out of oil spill from the sunken vessel Black Rose in next couple of days.

The OSPCB had issued a show cause notice to PPT chairman K. Raghuramaiah on Friday asking him to explain why action would not be taken against the port authorities under Water Pollution Act and Environment (Protection) Act. The pollution watchdog had directed the PPT chief to respond to the show cause notice within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, PPT has submitted its reply to the OSPCB notice. Confirming it, Siddhant Das, member secretary, OSPCB, said, “PPT has replied to our show cause notice. We would examine the response and decide on the next course of action within a day or two.”

When contacted, Biplav Kumar, deputy chairman of PPT said, PPT has sent its reply to the OSPCB's notice. He, however, refused to spell out the details of the reply sent to the board. MV Black Rose, the ill-fated vessel had capsized about 5 kms from the port on September 9 this year.

Earlier, an expert team from the board had visited Paradeep on last Tuesday and found that oil was leaking from the sunken vessel with the oil reaching the shore in some locations.

Locals alleged that dead aquatic animals like fishes and crabs were washed ashore creating panic among the environmentalists. A team from the Centre had also rushed to Paradeep to take stock of the situation.

The pollution board was unhappy over the inordinate delay in evacuation of oil from the vessel and felt that the port had not complied with the instructions which it had issued earlier to the PPT authorities.