Mangalore: Waste Oil Deposits on State’s Shore - Environmental Pollution Feared
Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, May 31: Thick, sticky oil deposit in pelletized form is being deposited on the seashore of the state from Talapady to Byndoor, since the last several days. The fishermen are worried about the environmental hazards this phenomenon might give rise to, and its possible ill-affects on fish catches and the health of the people living in the coast.
Experts however, say that such things are common in the final days of the summer season, as the sea experiences a kind of churning, given rise to by the increasing density of the sea water. During this process, waste oil deposits found in the sea get concentrated in pellet form, and get pushed on to the beaches, they say. The fishermen are worried because of the fact that the quantum of such deposits this time is much higher as compared to last year, and that the fishermen conducting fishing in the deep sea have been witnessing thick, black oil floating on the surface of sea water.
Yatish Bykampady, chief executive officer of Panambur Beach Tourism Development Project, informed that the fishermen have brought this phenomenon to the notice of the government through the district deputy commissioner, and that the attention of the Cost Guard has also been drawn towards it. The fishermen presume that some ships have discharged waste oil into the sea in contravention of established procedures. Bykampady urged the government to issue stern instructions to the crew of the ships to strictly adhere to rules in this connection.
In-charge deputy commissioner of the district, Prabhakar Sharma, said that as soon as the fishermen brought the issue to his notice, New Mangalore Port Trust and the state Environment Pollution Control Board officials were asked to take necessary steps. After the beaches experienced increased presence of such oil deposits on Sunday May 30, the NMPT chief engineer and the officials of the board have been reminded again to review the situation and submit reports, he revealed.