Gujarat maritime board plans 2 oil spill response centres

In view of mounting threat of oil spill along the Gujarat coast due to increased movement of oil cargo, the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has initiated steps to setup two emergency response centres for handling oil spill crisis.

One of the emergency response centres will come up in Gulf of Kutch for Kutch and Saurashtra regions, while the second centre will be setup in Gulf of Khambhat for south Gujarat region.

"The two centres will be capable of handling oil spill contingencies along the entire coast of the state," said GMB officials.

According to GMB, 6,800 ships currently call at Gujarat ports per annum on an average. Gujarat handles 150 million tonne of oil imports per annum. Oil exploration in the Gulf of Khambhat by ONGC, Cairn and other players also adds to oil handling activities.

Crude tankers calling at Single Buoy Moorings (SBMs) are approximately of 1,00,000 tonne capacities. Ships other than oil tankers operating in Gujarat waters also carry oil as bunkers.

These activities increase the threat of accidental oil spill leading to killing of fishes and other biodiversity damage. An oil spill can damage marine environmental resources, and also affect fishing activities concentrated along the Gulf of Khambhat and south Gujarat Coast.

"The oil spill response centres will help in preventing any un-restorable ecological damage along the Gujarat coast in the eventuality of an accident," said officials.