Daijiworld Media Network (KM/NR)
Mangalore, October 14: Media here has made note of the fact that fishes are dying in large numbers due to sea pollution, allegedly caused by the leakage of oil from the ship Den Den, which as all are aware by now, had sunk off at Tannirbavi beach, near the city around five months back.
However, the officials in the administration, under the Fisheries department and the Pollution Control Board are not ready to accept the reality. They have their own version of the same, clarifying that the situation is not so grim, and that no such leakage of oil from the ship has been reported.
However, the reality is indeed shocking and directly opposite to the version presented by the authority. The fact is leaked oil has spread to the surface of the sea, forming a thick layer with dead fish remains found floating in large numbers around the spillage.
GS Naik, engineer, Pollution Control Board (PCB) defending the official version clarified that the possibility of leakage is unimaginable, as the PCB authority is regularly examining the sea water condition nearly twice a day. He backed his version with the opinion of experts that the cause of fishes perishing off the sea coast is not due to pollution.
On the other hand, fishermen here state that it is the sea pollutants caused by the oil spillage which is the main cause of fish fatalities. However, they agree that they can not prove their allegations, as carcasses of fishes are not found on the shore. But they stated that to see the dead fishes, one needs to go to the middle of the sea where it is found floating all over.
When media persons were led by the fishermen to the oil spillage site, they did notice the oil slicks on the surface of the sea and dead fish floating on the surface, thereby giving credence to the idea of sea being polluted.