Environmentalists worried over oil spill

MUMBAI - Environmentalists say the oil leak in the sea off Mumbai due to the sinking of a ship would lead to an ecological disaster.

Efforts are on to remove the oil from the sea water.

“Although the oil leak from the sinking Panamanian ship has been stopped, the oil that has already spilled is not only affecting marine life, but also the mangroves in and around the area,” said Debi Goyenka of Conservation Action Trust.

“It will be impossible to remove the oil that has already entered the roots of the mangroves. Measures to contain the spill should have been taken immediately, which clearly did not happen,” Goyenka added.

Some containers floating in the sea are reportedly carrying pesticides along with chemicals harmful to the marine environment.

Mumbai-based environmentalist Girish Raut expressed his concern over the spill saying that it would not only affect marine life, but also disturb the entire food chain.

“There are several water organisms that become the food of other bigger organisms, some of them also consumed by humans. The fact is that this disaster, which could have been stopped by humans, will affect humans the most,” Raut said.

“Although the municipal corporation has issued a directive asking people not to consume fish for a few days, the effect of the spill is there to stay for a much longer time,” Raut added.

Taking a grim view of the situation, another Mumbai-based environmentalist Rishi Agarwal expressed his concern over the disaster management facilities.

“There has to be a strategy to avert such spills rather than desperate measures undertaken later to contain the effects,” Agarwal said.