Oil sludge makes life slick and slippery in north Chennai

CHENNAI: It has been more than 5 days since M Kumari (59) stepped into her house in Tiruveethiamman Koil of Ernavoor, Tiruvottiyur. She had been seeking refuge at relatives’ and neighbours’ houses as her shanty is inundated with oil mixed with rainwater, thanks to Cyclone Michaung

Her plight is similar to most residents of Adi Dravida colony and Tiruveethiamman Koil — both belong to Ward 4 in Ernavoor. The dwellers, who mostly belong to Scheduled Caste and also other communities, have been residing in the rather neglected region for nearly 20 years.

The oil spill does not affect only these 2 areas but also more than 1 lakh residents of wards 4, 6 and 7, as per sources in the region. Ward 4 alone houses over 35,000 people.

Though it’s a ritual of-sorts for their houses to get flooded every year, the heavy oil spillage along with rainwater has caused these residents a great deal of difficulty — almost life-altering. Kumari, who stays at her shelter on 5th street of Tiruveethiamman Koil, said, “My husband and I have been living here. But, since the cyclone, we’ve been unable to even remotely approach our home due to water stagnation. Besides that, we saw poisonous snakes at the entrance of our home.”

Kumari lamented over the exorbitant prices charged for pumping out the water and the lackadaisical attitude of the Corporation staff in initiating the process of dewatering.

Subsequently, Nirmala Devi who stayed at a relief camp nearby with her 73-year-old ailing husband in the same region, had to remove the water inside her house using kitchen utensils. “I’ve developed infections in my legs due to oil sedimentation in the house. I don’t know how I can remove oil from the walls and other materials at the house. This cyclone has left behind a nightmarish situation for us, and what’s worse is that no officials have visited us yet,” rued Nirmala.

Other residents added that they were yet to be receive water supply, though the stagnated water receded a couple of days ago. “The sludge inside the houses reached up to our waist. Though the water has receded in the area, the electricity supply is erratic. There is still no drinking water supply,” she stated.

The plight of Adi Dravida Colony is equally dreadful. While DT Next visited the area, it found that the entire place was polluted with oil mixed with water and sewage, which means that the residents have to sacrifice all their belongings, as nothing can be washed, cleaned and re-used.

Usha Nandhini, a resident of Adi Dravida Colony, 8th street, fighting back tears, said, “I’ve lost all my belongings – from government documents, medical records, and children’s precious items. This is definitely life-altering for us.”

Chief Secretary Shiva Das Meena who inspected the area told DT Next, “We’re taking stock of the situation and assessing the extent of damages. The State government is also finding the cause of the spill.”

Meanwhile, Nityanand Jayaraman, an environmentalist known for his strong opinions and criticisms, asked if the State government and TN Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) truly understood the extent of the damage caused due to this spillage. “The damage does not merely limit to property, but extends to livelihood, health and land. And more. Being exposed to organic components, contained in petroleum, causes cancer. And, such destruction has been allowed on people,” he pointed out.

The city-based activist further raised questions on the utilisation of rapid response protocol during such a disaster by the State and TNPCB. “If such a protocol is not in place or not utilised, it shows that nothing has been learned from the Ennore oil leak in 2017,” he observed.

Further, it’s imperative to note that as per Suzhal Arivom, the collective working on environmental issues, oil spillage continues in Manali. “During our visit, we saw that the oil spillage continues and the sediments visible on the canal,” a member of the collective said.