MPCB demands Rs 3 cr from MSC Chitra for clean-up

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has issued a show cause notice to the Mediterranean Shipping Company which owns MSC Chitra — one of the ships involved in the collision off the Mumbai Coast on August 7.

MPCB has asked the company to pay Rs 3 crore for the environmental damage following the collision and the subsequent oil spill in the Arabian sea. It said the company should bear the initial cost of surveys, samplings, pollution response system, material and manpower costs.

In its notice to the company, MPCB has said that “around 110 kms of coastal area and over 10 sites were affected causing unaccountable ecological damage”.

 

The state pollution watchdog had appointed organisations like the National Energy Research Institute (NERI) and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) for the initial surveys and sampling, the cost of which has been included in the compensation demanded from MSC Chitra.

MPCB has also lodged an FIR against the owners of MSC Chitra. According to the charges the company could be asked to pay a penalty of Rs 5,00,000.

While MSC has put the blame on Khailijia3 the vessel that it had collided with for the error that led to the accident a formal inquiry by the Directorate General of Shipping is still on. Offloading of containers from MSC Chitra is continuing even as salvers navigate the channel. DG Shipping, in its report to the shipping ministry, said that the phosphine levels are above the permissible limits.

It also said regular shipping and ferry boat movement in and out of Mumbai port and JNPT, has been resumed.

Earlier last month, K Mohandas, secretary, ministry of shipping had said, “We would conduct an inquiry and action will be taken against those responsible for the accident.”