With huge amounts of oil and tar balls dotting the entire stretch of Juhu beach, marine experts and local activists want Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MBCP) to carry out a thorough investigation into the issue.
Tar balls are lumps of solidified crude oil found in or on the sea that gets washed up on the shore. DNA in its story dated August 14: 'Mumbai: Tar balls washed up at Juhu beach' had reported how regular walkers and visitors had found tar balls, almost the size of a fist, deposited all along the beach.
Several Juhu residents said that it was shocking that despite a large number of greasy oil balls none of the authorities seemed to be bothered. Juhu resident Shaunak Modi, who is a marine enthusiast and is a part of the Marine Life Of Mumbai (MLOM), a group that has been documenting marine life along Mumbai's coast, said that during his visit to the beach on Wednesday, he found a huge quantity of tar balls and oil across the beach. While oil is washed ashore during monsoon, the quantity of oil and tar balls being seen since Monday is very high in compariso.
"While the tar balls are mixed with sand and plastic, there is a large quantity of oil underneath the plastic waste that has been washed ashore," he said adding that while he was walking over the plastic trash his footwear was covered with sticky oil.
While Modi has already registered a complaint with BMC, Pradip Patade co-founder of MLOM said he will be writing to MPCB to investigate the oil spill as the quantity was extremely high. "Tar ball pollution has severe consequences on not only destroying the scenic beauty of the beach but as it also threatens the marine life like crabs, shrimps and others species. Government agencies need to investigate where and how oil spill occurred as several beaches in South Gujarat and North Maharashtra are also severely affected," he said.
CHECK POINT
- Tar balls are lumps of solidified crude oil found in or on the sea that gets washed up on the shore
- Juhu residents said it was shocking that despite a large no. of greasy oil balls, authorities weren’t bothered.
