Fears that ocean currents were spreading oil from the spill off Mumbai coast when two cargo
ships collided flared Monday after tar balls turned up in some coastal areas towards Raigarh, about 100 km from here.
Scientists at Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) have found fresh on-shore oil debris--some upto six inches in depth --in coastal regions along south of Mumbai towards Raigarh along with tar balls in some places.
A Coast Guard official said oil spill has reached the beaches of Alibag, Marva, Sewree and Elephanta Caves besides Mumbai mangroves. Fishermen have also been warned not to venture into the sea for fishing.
The oil spill has also ignited concerns over use of sea water by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
The country's premier atomic establishment has been asked by the Coast Guard not to use sea water for its facilities in wake of the oil spill. BARC uses sea water for its two research reactors--Dhruva and Cirus--for cooling purposes.
As questions were raised over the liability of the two Panamian cargo ships for the deadly oil spill, the fallout of the oil slick is beginning on another front too. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the seas for fishing for fears that marine life could have been affected.
A senior scientist at BNHS Dr Deepak Apte told PTI," We have found good quantity of fresh oil upto six inches depth along the beaches in Sasvane, Kihim, Revas and Mandava and Alibag along the Mumbai-Raigarh coast."
Tests were being done to confirm whether the globs of concentrated oil discovered came from the oil spill after the collision between the two ships.
"We are taking samples for analysis. This may be only a beginning of finding the on-shore oil spill, as we are already on the job to locate it," Apte said.
As part of the anti-oil pollution drive along the coastal regions of Maharashtra following a collision between two cargo ships off the Mumbai coast, Indian Coast Guards approached BNHS yesterday to do an oil spill survey and locate on-shore oil spills in the region and how far it has spread.
Apte, who is leading the survey by a team of
scientists, said fresh tar balls were found in a couple of locations although locals claim that tar balls from oil rigs and refineries are found scattered on beaches during monsoons.
More than five batches of scientists from BNHS are on the job along Chowpatty, Gorai and Malad beaches besides backwaters along Sewri and Uran, he said.
A senior Coast Guard official told PTI, "We have asked BARC not to use sea water for any of their facilities as it is polluted with oil spill."
"Sea water should not be used for cooling as oil spill has reached the beaches of Alibag, Marva, Sewree and Elephanta Caves besides Mumbai mangroves," the official said.
Meanwhile, BARC sources said the two research reactors are currently operating and scientists are constantly monitoring the water physically and scientifically before using it for cooling.
Fishing Associations have also been directed not to go fishing as sea water has been polluted due to the oil spill.
"Due to monsoon the fishing activity has been stopped and there is very minimal supply and with this incident the supply of fishes will be hit harder. Marine life will be affected. Enough operations have not been taken to contain the
oil spread," National Fishworkers Forum's General Secretary Rambhau Patil told