Oil spill off Mumbai coast as two cargo ships collide

Looks like it is oil spill season. Even as the news and uproar about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is still fresh, there has been a fresh spill, albeit smaller, off the coast of Mumbai. This one was caused when two Panamanian flagged cargo ships – MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia-111 – collided off the Mumbai coast on Saturday. MSC Chitra was carrying 1200 containers with over 2662 tons of fuel, 283 tons of diesel and 88040 tons of lubricant oil which is now pouring into the Arabian Sea. At present the ship has titled almost 80 degrees and spilled 50 tons of fuel, with some 300 oil containers having rolled into the sea. There were no casualties due to the collision.

While it is not as big a spill as the recent Gulf of Mexico disaster, it is causing serious environmental and economic concerns for Mumbai. The spill has now reached the Alibag and Uran areas, with potential risk to the mangrove belt in the region, as also the ancient Elephanta Caves. The island caves are a world heritage site with exquisite sculptures and architecture dating back to 6-7 centuries AD. The marine life in the region could face long-term, potentially permanent damage if the spill is not controlled urgently. Almost all coastal districts of Maharashtra have been put on high alert following the spill. Ships have also been asked to keep clear of the area until directed otherwise.

The fishing community in Maharashtra has been forced to stop work for three days translating into millions of Rupees in losses. The worst hit however, are 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.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Mumbai Port Trust have been trying 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 has been recruited by the Mumbai Port Trust to control the oil spill. A high-level meeting of state officials is also being convened to deliberate upon the situation and plan further actions. However, after three days of the accident there are no signs of the oil spill coming under control. The treacherous tidal conditions in the region are also making disaster management difficult.

India, particularly the Arabian Sea is not new to oil spills what with a number of oil refineries along the coasts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. However, there have been few major spills in the region. The National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan adopted in 1996 provides the framework for handling such situations. The recent oil spill incident can be said to be a Tier 1 incident (spills up to 700 tons) for which individual ports and oil handling facilities are required to be prepared. In fact, India prides itself at being the only country in the region to have Tier 2 capability. Tier 2 capabilities include the pooling of government and private resources at a local level to respond incident to control any complex oil spills.

The Mumbai oil spill may not register as a major incident, but it should be used as an opportunity to assess oil spill emergency response preparedness in real time. The Indian Coast Guard recently reviewed its response system in the wake of the Mexico Gulf crisis. The Mumbai spill could tell how well India is really prepared. A serious audit and analysis should be conducted and any upgradations to the system implemented immediately. Certain media reports indicate that the MSC Chitra had a dubious safety record. If that is the case, it is necessary 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.