Two weeks ago, a cargo vessel, MV Rak carrying about 290 tonnes of furnace oil (much more worse than crude oil), 50 tonnes of fuel oil, and 60,000 tonnes of coal sunk about 25 nautical miles from the Mumbai coast.

The state government’s environment body, MPCB has taken water samples from various places including the Mahalaxmi Temple, Juhu Beach, and INS Kunjali, and they have contained the oil.

According to the coast guard there, the estimated quantity of oil that leaked out from the sunken vessel could be around 150 tonnes. Spraying of oil spill dispersants in the affected areas is being carried out. This oil and coal spill came just a week after another ship, MT Pavit, carrying 30 tonnes of oil sank in the sea.

Environmentalists said that if this oil enters the creek, it will affect the mangroove ecosystem considerably.

Mr Swapna Prabhu from Bombay Natural History Society said that “The algae imbibe the oil and that may affect the entire marine ecology.”

Thousands of fishermen and their family who lives near the Mumbai sea line are also badly affected due to the restriction of fishing in oil-affected areas.

(Sourced from Planetsave)