Chennai oil spill: 75 boats, 300 personnel deployed for mitigation work in Ennore
The pollution control board issued directions to the CPCL following an oil spill into Buckingham Canal, and Ennore Creek in Chennai.
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TNPCB issued directions to the CPCL following an oil spill into Buckingham Canal, and Ennore Creek in Chennai, during the floods in the aftermath of Cyclone Michaung.
(Express photo by Janardhan Koushik)The Tamil Nadu State Oil Crisis Management Group (SOS-CMG) held a meeting on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena.
Apart from the senior government officials, the representatives of Chennai Petro Chemical Limited (CPCL) also took part in the meeting to review the mitigation works underway in the Ennore Creek area and impacted villages.
According to a statement issued by Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary of the Environment, Climate Change & Forests Department, the committee was informed that the mitigation works were in full swing in the area. Oil boomers were put in place to contain the spread of oil. Also, an oil skimmer machine was pressed into service today to extract oil from the creek and four more oil skimmers are planned to be deployed in the next two days.
“To speed up the mitigation work, 75 boats and 300 personnel have been pressed into service. These boats are involved in the suction of oil from the surface and transporting it safely to the shore. Four gully sucker machines have been deployed to suck the oil from the water surface. The work regarding the cleaning of oil-soaked debris from nearby villages had begun with JCBs and other equipment,” Sahu said.
On Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) issued directions to the CPCL following an oil spill into Buckingham Canal, and Ennore Creek in Chennai, during the floods in the aftermath of Cyclone Michaung.
The board, in its order, asked the CPCL to identify hotspots in Buckingham Canal, Ennore Creek and adjoining areas in Chennai where the oil deposits or slicks are stagnated and take remedial measures on a war footing.
According to Sahu, CPCL has been asked to ramp up the mitigation work further by deploying more oil boomers, skimmers, and trained manpower. Also, they have been directed to ensure that all precautionary measures are taken during the mitigation work to safeguard the health and safety of people engaged in the operation.
“CPCL has been categorically told to ensure that protective gear and safety equipment were provided to the teams engaged in the work. Oil Crisis Management Group directed the Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation and Director of Fisheries to undertake a comprehensive review of the impacted families and submit the list to the Relief Commissioner,” the statement added.
To take care of the health of people located in nearby villages, the state health department has set up mobile camps with specialised doctors. The Animal Husbandry department has organised special camps for the treatment of impacted stray and pet animals in nearby villages.
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