Show cause to PPT on steps to stop oil spill

The Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) today issued show cause notice to the chairman of Paradeep Port Trust (PPT) asking him to explain why action will not be taken against the port under Water Pollution Act and Environment (Protection) Act for failing to prevent marine pollution arising out of oil spill from the Mangolian ship M V Black Rose, which sank within the port limit a month back.

The PPT chief, K. Raghuramaiah has been asked to reply within 24 hours (by 4 pm tomorrow) detailing the steps taken by the port to check oil spill from the ill-fated vessel. OPCB, sources said, will decide on the next course of action after receiving the reply. The notice from OPCB follows the visit of an expert team of the board to the port on 6 October, 2009, who found oil leak going on at the site with oil reaching the shore in some locations.

This has created an impression that the port has not complied with the specific instruction issued to it by the OSPCB earlier. It may be noted, the board on 10th and 23rd September had sent specific directive on the issue to the port authorities. “We had earlier issued specific instructions to Paradeep Port authorities to prevent oil leakage from the sunken ship and to ensure that the oil doesn’t reach the shore. However, the visit of our team on 6th of this month showed that oil leakage is still going on and the oil has reached sporadic spots on the shore”, Sidhant Das, member-secretary, OSPCB, told Business Standard.

Sources said, considering the gravity of the situation, PPT has been asked to reply within 24 hours despite the fact that tomorrow is a holiday.

The Union ministry of environment and forests has already directed the Orissa government to take legal action against the PPT authorities for violating the Wild Life Protection Act, Environment (Protection) Act and Water Pollution Act.

In a letter sent to the secretary, department of forest and environment, Orissa government, the ministry pointed out that the PPT authorities have violated these acts by failing to retrieve the oil from Black Rose 28 days after the vessel capsized in the Bay of Bengal, about five km from the Paradeep port.

The ministry has also directed the state government to set up a crisis group to monitor the removal of oil from the sunken vessel and also to ensure that pollution does not affect the habitats of the sea turtles. The crisis group is to be set up under the chairmanship of the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state who is the statutory authority in matters related to wildlife protection.