Polluters will have to pay for oil spill: Ramesh
August 17th, 2010 - 3:36 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) Days after an oil spill from the Panamanian ship that rammed into another vessel in Mumbai harbour affected the ecology of the area, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said polluters will have to pay for it.
Ramesh said, replying to a short-notice question in the Rajya Sabha: “I can assure the house that the polluter must pay and the polluter will pay.”
The environment minister said the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has asked the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, and the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, to look at comprehensive environment impact assessment.
“We are expecting to get the first report in four weeks and the next in three months. This report will be the basis for compensation,” he said.
Panamanian cargo carrier MSC Chitra and a St. Kitts ship, MV Khalijia-III, collided Aug 7 outside the Mumbai harbour, barely five km from south Mumbai.
An estimated 2,000 litres of oil spilled from the grounded ship during the three days since its collision.
On a query related to compensation to fishermen affected by the oil spill, Ramesh said: “Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cochin, has been asked to make a quick impact assessment on fishermen and it will be ready in two weeks.”
“The process of filing compensation is a long-drawn one. But we cannot wait to give compensation to fishermen. Immediate compensation when identified will be provided to them,” he added.
The minister said the Maharashtra pollution board has invoked the Environmental Protection Act, 1976, and three complaints have been filed.
Ramesh said he would not be able to testify to the safety and efficacy of the fish being caught in the area.
“There has been substantial impact on the fish population. Water samples have been taken and are being tested for contamination. Fish has started to come in Mumbai from other parts of the country,” he said.
Ramesh said it is safe to eat fish in Mumbai as long as it is not caught in the contaminated water.
- Ramesh terms ship collision as freak accident (Lead) - Aug 14, 2010
- No more oil spill off Mumbai coast: Jairam Ramesh - Aug 10, 2010
- Jairam Ramesh says polluter must pay for Mumbai oil spill - Aug 17, 2010
- No more oil spill off Mumbai coast: Jairam Ramesh (Lead) - Aug 10, 2010
- Manmohan Singh seeks report on Mumbai oil spill - Aug 09, 2010
- Oil slick danger looms over Maharashtra coast (Lead) - Aug 09, 2010
- Jairam Ramesh visits oil spill site - Aug 14, 2010
- Oil leak stops from sinking ship, slick danger unabated (Second Lead) - Aug 09, 2010
- Oil pollution sighted in Thane after ship collision leak - Aug 14, 2010
- Oil spill under control, says Chavan - Aug 10, 2010
- Fishermen demand compensation for oil spill losses - Aug 09, 2010
- No fresh reports of oil leak off Mumbai coast - Aug 10, 2010
- India needs stringent regulations to check disasters: Pachauri - Aug 10, 2010
- Munde slams Maharashtra government over oil spill - Aug 15, 2010
- Ship collision: Efforts to contain oil spill in Mumbai harbour - Aug 08, 2010
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