Mumbai oil leak plugged

Mumbai, Aug 10: Three days after the oil spill in Mumbai the operation on oil slick from the ship has been made successful.

"Oil slick from MSC Chitra has been stopped. No oil coming out any more. Operation is halted as the ship is steady. Evacuation of cargo will start from tomorrow," said one Coast Guard official after the operation.

But still MSC Chitra is in dangerous situation while some part of the oil patches have been cleared.

Pollution response capable vessels are spraying oil spill dispersants," the official added.

Earlier, a press release from the Mumbai Coast Guard had reported only 02 tanks of the vessel have been damaged post collision, which have the capacity of 879 M/Tons.

But already 800 tonnes of oil is floating on the sea.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has intervened and asked for a report from the Union Shipping Ministry on the oil spill. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has also been alerted by the Coastguard to be careful as the slick has reached Sewree area where BARC is located.

Hectic efforts continued to combat the oil spill spanning around two miles in the Arabian Sea. This is one of the biggest operation in the Indian sea waters.

The shipping traffic has been kept on hold for the time being. The oil spill is could reach coastal areas of Uran and Mandava within the next 24 hours and damage mangroves in the Navi Mumbai belt.

The ships ICG Sankalp, Amrit Kaur, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Kamla Devi and C-145 - have joined the ICG AOPV Sangram, which was deployed since Sunday to monitor the oil spill and guide relief efforts.

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who surveyed the oil spill visit in a helicopter, said the oil spill was a “serious issue". "We are trying to contain the leak as far as possible. This is a serious issue. We have already filed cases against the captains of the two ships which are from abroad," he said.

OneIndia News