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| Edited By: DNA |Source: DNA |Updated: Aug 26, 2011, 07:32 PM IST
The recent oil spills off the coast of Mumbai and the ones on the Gujarat coast at Kodinar and Navsari have raised several concerns. DNA spoke to the member-secretary of Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Hardik Shah, about these spills.
Q. At how many places along the Gujarat coast were oil spills noticed recently?
A. Oil spills have been noticed on the coasts of Kodinar in Saurashtra and Navsari in south Gujarat recently. The rumoured oil spill in Mundra was nothing actually and blown out of proportion.
Q. What is the nature of the spill?
A. The rudiments that have washed ashore in Kodinar are very minor and nothing serious. However, the spill in south Gujarat appears major and we are closely monitoring the coast. Star balls of oil have washed ashore.
Q. What is likely to be the reason?
A. The reason is unclear. Looking at the tide movements, it seems like a spill deep in the sea. This spill could have been coming from either Bombay High or Panna Mukta basin.
Q. Is GPCB doing anything about it?
A. We are taking the matter very seriously. We have adopted a three-tier approach. Identifying potential sources within state; alerting Coast Guard to identify any untoward activities; and alerting Gujarat Maritime Board to monitor outgoing ships.
Q. What have you found within the state?
A. A team of GPCB, CPCB and GMB have analysed all units of ONGC, Cairn and Niko near Hazira. There are no abnormalities there.
Q. Has the union ministry of environment and forests been informed?
A. Yes, in fact we immediately sought their help. We wrote to them last week seeking cooperation from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh pollution control boards to investigate the spills from their facilities.
