Mumbai: Activists seek probe into tar balls at Juhu beach

Environmentalists and marine enthusiasts who have been raising concerns over continuous oil and tar balls, depositing on Juhu beach are upset that authorities including Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) are not taking the issue seriously.

Earlier this month, the beach saw massive deposits of tar balls between July 5 and 6. According to activists, tar balls ranging from 15-20 cm and almost 6-7kgs in weight and were found in huge quantities across the whole beach. However several visitors to the beach again on Wednesday reported of oil and smaller sized tar balls being seen.

Juhu resident Shaunak Modi, a marine enthusiast and member of the Marine Life Of Mumbai (MLOM), a group that has been documenting marine life along Mumbai coast, said that on Wednesday he saw oil as well as tar balls strewn across the beach, however there were no huge sized tar balls found like it was earlier this month.

"This is an annual phenomenon agreed, but it is not natural and since this causes pollution and causes irreversible damage to marine life, it should be investigated. The investigation should also be done to verify if all this oil is coming from Bombay High or being released by tankers," said Modi.

Sarita Fernandes, Conservation Officer Vanashakti said that she had even emailed complaints about huge sized tar balls on July 6 to Chief Secretary, MPCB and other authorities. "All I know is that my complaints have been forwarded by Chief Secretary to Environment Secretary and Forest Secretary for further investigation on July 8, but it has been 10 days and I haven't heard anything on it yet," she said.

Fernandes shared that it was for the first time such tar balls were found at Juhu beach. Though such huge sized tar balls are not appearing now, but still oil and small tar balls continue to be seen on the beach and hence this should be investigated on priority. "There should be a scientific analysis of these tar balls to understand what is its composition so that it's origin can also be found," she said.

According to experts tar balls are lumps of solidified crude oil found in or on the sea that get washed up on the shore.

"Tar ball pollution has severe consequences on not only destroying the scenic beauty of the beach but as it also threatens marine life like crabs, shrimps and other species. Unfortunately, government agencies do not take this issue very seriously," said an activist.

A senior official from Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) said that tar balls surely have an impact on species found even on shore and intertidal zone. "Tar balls that are the size of fish or bigger could be caused by recent oil spills that too closer to Mumbai," he suggested.

Meanwhile, an MPCB official said that oil and tar balls coming on beaches are an annual phenomenon. "The beach has to be cleared off these oil and tar balls and BMC has already done it earlier and will clear the fresh ones too. Also, we have no reports of any oil spill near Mumbai coast," said the official.