Oil spill damaged 60 hectares of mangroves in Ennore: TN forest dept apprises NGT
Around 20 hectares are severely damaged and 40 hectares are moderately damaged
CHENNAI: Claiming that no casualties of mangroves occurred due to the Ennore oil spill incident, the state forest department has apprised the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that 60 hectares of mangroves in Ennore have been damaged.
According to a report submitted to the Tribunal that hears a case against the oil spill incident by the department, of the total 60 hectares of damaged mangroves, around 20 hectares are severely damaged and 40 hectares are moderately damaged.
A large quantity of crude oil allegedly from CPCL (Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited) led into Buckingham Canal and to Ennore Creek during the Michaung Cyclone in December. As the spill affected fishermen and the ecosystem, NGT took up the issue.
"The affected foliages of 5,000 mangroves were only pruned to induce fresh growth as per the standard methodology in consultation with the reputed institutions. The pruned waste collected is about 5,081 bags," the department said when the case came up for hearing on Tuesday.
The department also informed the Tribunal that remnants of oil slicks, which are deposited on the soil surface, were cleared using water sprayers, hydrojets, and other equipment.
On the other hand, CPCL said that the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa will take up bio-remediation of mangroves. Already, the NIO has carried out pre-sampling of water and sediment at three locations. The report will be available in the month of May, the CPCL informed the Tribunal.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has engaged IIT-Madras to assess the entire spread, remediation and other factors.
However, the applicant pointed out that reports for the oil spill that occurred in December are still not ready, even after 4 months.
Hearing the sides, the bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) to file an additional report regarding the health of the mangroves, their survival rate and the time that it may take for a complete revival.