Around 2,000 volunteers including students have been pressed into the cleanup operations after the disastrous Chennai oil spill. The hard work and commitment of the volunteers have finally brought some good news as the Central government has said that 90% of the work has been completed by Saturday.

An official release said the workers have removed 65 tons of sludge from the coasts. The centre assured that the clean-up will be completed in the next two days.

“The total quantity of sludge which was removed till February 2 was 65 tons. It is observed that there is a vast difference between the quantity of oil spill and sludge recovered due to the fact that the oil gets coagulated and becomes puffy when it is recovered with water and sand,” an official release said.

“More than 90% of the work has been completed and most of the residual work is expected to be completed in a couple of days,” it added.

On January 28, two shipping vessels had collided outside the Kamarajar port at Ennore. One of the two ships was carrying oil. The rupture in the ship caused the spill-over, considered devastating for the ecology in the area. On Friday, the Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan informed that the vessel had 32,000 ton of oil, which has been emptied. He said that the tank didn’t leak after the collision, but the oil oozed out of the engine.

A massive clean-up operation was launched in Tiruvallur, Chennai and Kancheepuram districts. Around 2000 people have engaged in the cleanup operation at various sites. This includes Ernavur, Chennai Fishing Harbour, Marina Beach, Besant Nagar, Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, Neelankarai and Injambakkam beaches.

The oil spill is massive and it will have repercussions on the ecological balance in the area. The government will have to fix up the responsibility of the disaster and also check whether the authorities are capable of dealing with such disasters.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has already constituted a high-level probe into the matter. The probe will be headed by Director General Shipping and a report will be submitted to the ministry in a month. Shipping Secretary

Shipping Secretary Rajive Kumar said on Friday that all the evidence will be collected and the liability will be fixed. He said the clean-up will be paid by the ship that erred in the accident. The accident has also sent the ministry into introspection mode. The ministry has sought a report on whether Indian ports are properly equipped to handle such disasters.

The accident has also sent the ministry into introspection mode. The ministry has sought a report on whether Indian ports are properly equipped to handle such disasters.

50 per cent subsidy is given to ports to buy the equipment. The Ennore Port had the equipment at the time of the accident.

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