Thousands of winged visitors to the city landed in serious trouble since late Friday evening as the oil from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) refinery spilled into Mahul creek.
“The oil started spilling late on Friday evening, but was noticed only on Saturday morning when some of us went fishing in the sea,” said Waman Koli, fisherman from Mahul. Since the movement of fishermen in the sea has reduced the last few days the spill was only just noticed. “When some of us went to the creek this morning, we were shocked to see a thick layer of oil. The matter was immediately brought to the notice of other fishermen,” Koli said.
When some of them tried to trace the source of the spill, fishermen reached the nullah between Tata Power and BPCL. “It is a serious matter which is bound to affect the marine and avian life in the creek including flamingos,” said environmentalists Stallion Dayanand, who visited the spot on hearing about the spill.
The waste oil from the refinery has spread through the creek and has killed the fish. The foul smell from the water has posed as a threat to the health of fishermen living in Mahul village. “It is a serious neglect on part of the BPCL, which needs to be deal with the problem on priority. Government must take concrete action to ensure that similar incidents are not repeated,” Dayanand said.
The matter was reported to police and company officials. A team of six officials arrived on the spot at around 1.30pm. “However, they left the scene after a preliminary inspection claiming that the discharge of oil has been stopped. But the oil continued to flow into the creek. However, the officials did not acknowledge our difficulties,” Koli said. This has become a regular feature in the area. “The officials don’t listen to our complaints. The industries in the area have virtually destroyed the marine ecosystem adding to our problems,” Koli said.
