Govt intensifies efforts to nail guilty behind Chennai oil spill

The government has ordered a high-level inquiry into Chennai Coast oil spill that took place after collision between two ships.

To nail the guilty behind the oil spill the probe is headed by Director General Shipping. A big damage control exercise was carried out in the wake of the collision, containing a major problem, and the ship has been emptied safely this morning, the Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said.

Oil spill has been a cause of concern ever since "M T BW Maple" leaving after emptying Liquefied Petroleum Gas on January 28 collided with M T Dawn, Kanchipuram, loaded with petroleum oil lubricant (POL) off Ennore Port, which is among top 12 major ports in the country.

“Oil spill has been cleaned. From the tank, it did not leak. Oil was leaked from the engine. There is no leakage from the ship,” Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said.

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The Shipping Ministry has sought an audit report on whether the ports handling oil are well equipped as 50 per cent subsidy is given to ports handling oil to get equipment.

“Whatever deficiencies they had pointed out, instructions were given to remove them and I had been told by Ennore Port they had the equipment which is prescribed under the Crisis management Plan, ” Shipping Secretary Rajive Kumar said.

He further added that the team was coordinating the efforts with Coast Guard as well as with the State Governments.

With PTI Inputs