Debabrata Mohanty India Express 12 Apr 10;
A coal-carrying Indian ship sailing from Indonesia that hit a berth at Gopalpur port in Ganjam district of Orissa on Monday started leaking oil endangering the lakhs of eggs of marine Olive Ridley turtles on Rushikulya beach.
The fuel oil leaked from the M V Malavika after it hit the berth yesterday, director of Gopalpur port Manmohan Maharana said.
As a result, a huge oil slick washed up on the Rushikulya river mouth since the early hours of today. Heavy oil was also found floating near the beach and some of it has washed ashore on the sands on the nesting grounds at Gokharkuda and Kantigada beaches where more than 1,00,000 of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles had nested last month.
Fishermen who had gone fishing in the early hours of today first reported the oil clogging their nets. They had to return without fishing.
Gopalpur port director said the situation is under control with both port and Coast Guard personnel working to stop any oil spill. "The entire fuel oil from the ship was transferred to a tanker within an hour," he said.
However, environmentalists said the oil spill could be a threat to Chilika lake as the oil may enter the lake through Palur canal from Rushikulya river.
"There could be irreversible damage to the eggs and the sea turtle population which are still present at the offshore waters. Marine fauna which are food for the turtles will be severely affected. Oil can be ingested by the turtles which are present now in the offshore waters leading to their death. Dolphins can be affected by the oil spills," alleged marine turtle expert Biswajit Mohanty.
The Chief Wildlife Warden of Orissa and the Orissa State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) have been alerted about this marine disaster and urged to take immediate mitigation measures. Mohanty said the spilled oil has to be recovered so that there is no adverse effect on the turtle eggs or the marine fauna.
