Experts to Discuss Blueprint to Check Oil Spills

New Delhi, Sept 5 (UNI) A meeting of experts here later this week shall review the country's preparedness for national oil spill and disaster contingencies and coordination in the implementation stage.

The Tenth Annual Meeting of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan on Friday -- chaired by Coast Guard Director General Vice Admiral RF Contractor -- is to be attended by representatives from some 50 government departments, ports, the oil industry, oil exploration units and state pollution control boards.

The meeting offers a forum to resolve issues pertaining to organisations engaged in pollution response and procedures involving more than one agency. The delegates will also review the progress made in developing 'Upto 700 tonnes Tier-1 oil spill response facility' by various stakeholders, according to an official spokesperson.

The protection of the marine environment against oil spill is a challenge confronting the country in the backdrop of growing trade through sea and increase in shipping traffic. The oil transported along the Indian coast amounts to 70 per cent of the world's oil traffic. Over the years the Coast Guard, in coordination with other resource agencies, have checked 65 oil spills averting a hazard to marine environment.

Deliberations on ways and means of preventing oil spills by bringing in strict legislations and punitive actions for defaulting agencies will also be pursued during the meeting.

Also to be discussed will be the availability of new technologies like pollution response software, consultancy, and pollution response-cum-dredging vessels available at national/international level.

Presentations on 'Environment Risk Analysis-An Overview' and 'Marine pollution by highly noxious substances' have also been arranged during the meeting.

UNI