SRIKANT FONDEKAR, a scientist who has had a long association with the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa, has specialised in dealing with oil spills. An environment pollution expert, Fondekar believes the government needs to implement the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan more effectively especially since the quantum of shipping has risen sharply in the last decade.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q. Why was the recent oil spill allowed to spin out of control?
A. The government needs to put an efficient oil spill contingency plan in place. A great deal depends on the type of oil spill. While 40 per cent of the oil gets evaporated, we have to prevent tar residues from forming as this will adversely affect marine and human life.

Q. What are the details that you have collected of this most recent oil spill?
A. When the two Panamanian flagged cargo ships — MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia — collided off the Mumbai coast, MSC Chitra was carrying 1,200 containers with over 2,662 tonnes of fuel, 283 tonnes of diesel and 8,8040 tonnes of lubricant oil which poured into the Arabian Sea. Many of its containers contained sodium hydroxide and pesticides forcing the closure of the Mumbai and JNPT ports. It may not have been as big a spill as the recent Gulf of Mexico spill but it has been a source of serious environmental concerns for Mumbaikars especially since the spill reached Alibag and Uran areas and even the Elephanta Caves.

Q. Why are our oil containment mechanisms not in place especially since we are building new ports rapidly and these accidents are going to be on the rise in the future?
A. From the start, we had suggested the use of oil born sensors to track down areas where the oil is thicker and where it is thinner. But we have failed to invest in oil born sensors. Once a spill takes place, we need information immediately but satellite data takes 24 hours to come through. Oil on sea surface will flow towards the shore and once this happens it becomes 60 times more difficult to remove.
Air-borne sensors act very quickly. Their cost runs into a couple of crores per sensor but they provide an immediate tracking devise. Once the aircraft begins to make sorties, the sensors immediately help identify the areas where the oil is thicker. We have suggested this to the government repeatedly but so far they have failed to purchase them.

Q. How did the coast guards handle this latest spill?
A. Coast guards are nodal agency to contain oil spills but they lack manpower and the latest equipment. They tried to salvage the situation with the help of anti-pollution dispersal spray systems. SMIT Salvage, a Netherland-based emergency response and environmental care services industry, was also recruited by the Mumbai Port Trust to control the oil spill. But even three days after the accident, there were no signs of the oil spill coming under control. The treacherous tidal conditions in the region also made disaster management difficult.
I would like to point out that dispersants are used as the last resort only if a spill takes place far from the coastline and when the sea is too rough for surface management. But in this case, the spill took place quite close to the shore. The dispersants need to be tested before being used but we still do not know what type of dispersants were used.

Q. What other suggestions have you made to the government?
A. Every port must have its own contingency plan in place. Tier 1 for 700 tonne spillage and tier 2 for between 700- 1,000 tonne spillage. Ports must have their own absorbent pads and this waste oil that is collected is generally given to contractors who build roads.

Q. The oil spill also affected the livelihood of the fishermen community?
A. The fishing community in Maharashtra was forced to stop work for three days translating into major losses. The worst hit were the marginal fishermen who depend upon their daily catch along the coastline for survival. They could face starvation if the situation does not improve soon. The 800,000 strong fishing community in Maharashtra is now looking for compensation from the government for the losses incurred.

Q. What are the lessons we can learn from this oil spill?
A. The Mumbai oil spill should be used as an opportunity to assess oil spill emergency response preparedness. The Coast Guard recently reviewed its response system in the wake of the Mexico Gulf crisis. The Mumbai spill is an indicator about our lack of preparedness. A serious audit and analysis should be conducted and any upgradations to the system implemented immediately. The MSC Chitra had a dubious safety record. If that is the case, the government needs to ensure that such ships do not enter Indian waters. A mechanism should be put in place to ensure strict enforcement of safety standards for ships entering and operating in Indian waters.