Why the sand at Mumbai's famous Girgaum chowpatty is turning black

The sands of Mumbai's famous Girgaum chowpatty, which is visited by thousands daily, have turned black due to oil slick. This has left the activists worried.

Pradip Patade, a water sports enthusiast who has been documenting the aquatic life on the beaches of South Mumbai, said that currently the entire beach from Cuffe parade to the main chowpatty has been affected.

"On Sunday, there was very little and a few patches of oil but on Monday thick oil had spread all across due to low tide and wind movement. The oil is now mixed with the trash that's already on the beach and has begun raising a stink," said Patade adding that while the oil cleaning machines had begun sopping the oil slick toward Girgaum chowpatty the real problem was towards the Nariman Point-end where machines were not used.

Mahesh Naik, a regular walker on the beach, too complained about the oil slick. "It's thick oil sludge and was even stuck to my shoes, which makes it clear that the beach will require a robust cleaning operation. These oil slicks and tar reaching the beaches is also a proof of how polluted the oceans are increasingly becoming."

Meanwhile, Patade added that with this activity BMC as well as the port authorities should confirm if there is some major problem related to sinking of a ship or oil being dumped in sea. "In case it is found out that there is major oil slick, efforts can be taken to ensure that BMC and other agencies are better prepared to clean up the entire beach as there will be high activity on the beach during Ganpati visarjan," he shared.

Bombay High Court lawyer Afroz Shah, who has formed the Versova Residents Volunteers (VRV) that has been carrying out cleaning operations at Versova beach, claimed that they don't have reports of any oil slick. "We had beach cleaning activity this Sunday but we have no reports of oil on the beach. But since it has hit the shores at Girgaum, we will have to be prepared to clean it up if it spreads to Versova," he said.

A senior BMC official claimed that they were already working on cleaning the beach. "As soon as our staff came to know about the oil slick, work was taken up to clear it using a mechanised way. Even at other places we will be doing manual cleaning."