Oil slick spotted on western coastline, MPCB clueless

Oil slick spotted on western coastline, MPCB clueless
Yet another oil slick has struck the state’s coastline, stretching from Revdanada in Raigad district to Satpati in Palghar. Officials said the entire western coast lining Mumbai and Thane has been affected.

Jabeen Parwani, of BMC’s Juhu Beach cleanliness monitoring committee, said, “We have asked a contractor to remove the slick, but he professed helplessness. Many morning walkers have complained to us about their clothes and feet being stained by the oil washed ashore. We have taken pictures of the slick and will send them to the authorities concerned on Monday.”

A senior Coast Guard officer said, “There could be two reasons for the slick. Since we impose a heavy penalty ranging between USD 2,000 and USD 5,000 on ships carrying waste oil, many such ships dump their load in deep sea, which then washes ashore, polluting the coastline.” Another reason, he added, could be a leakage in an oil refinery pipeline.