Mumbai: Environmentalists say the oil leak in the sea off Mumbai due to the sinking of a ship would lead to an ecological disaster.
The Indian coastguard has been trying to contain oil from the badly-listing container ship that collided with another vessel off the coast of Mumbai, a defence ministry spokesman said.
Containers fall from the deck of the damaged cargo ship MSC Chitrain in the Arabian Sea off the Mumbai coast on August 9, 2010.
"Although the oil leak from the sinking Panamanian ship has been stopped, the oil that has already spilled is not only affecting marine life, but also the mangroves in and around the area," said Debi Goyenka of Conservation Action Trust.
Damaged cargo ship MSC Chitra lies in the Arabian Sea off the Mumbai coast on August 9, 2010.
"It will be impossible to remove the oil that has already entered the roots of the mangroves. Measures to contain the spill should have been taken immediately, which clearly did not happen," Goyenka added.
In this handout photo released by the Indian Ministry of Defence on August 9, 2010, a coast guard helicopter drops oil-dispersal spray around the damaged cargo ship MSC Chitra
Some containers floating in the sea are reportedly carrying pesticides along with chemicals harmful to the marine environment.
Cargo containers float away from the damaged cargo ship MSC Chitra in the Arabian Sea off the Mumbai coast.
Mumbai-based environmentalist Girish Raut expressed his concern over the spill saying that it would not only affect marine life, but also disturb the entire food chain.
A resident of Geetanagar area walks on a rock wall covered with oil from the damaged MSC Chitra ship, in Mumbai on August 10, 2010.
"There are several water organisms that become the food of other bigger organisms, some of them also consumed by humans. The fact is that this disaster, which could have been stopped by humans, will affect humans the most," Raut said.
A resident of Geetanagar area shows is oil-stained feet after walking on a coastal wall covered with oil from the damaged MSC Chitra ship, in Mumbai on August 10, 2010.
"Although the municipal corporation has issued a directive asking people not to consume fish for a few days, the effect of the spill is there to stay for a much longer time," Raut added.
A resident of Geetanagar area shows an oil-stained foot after walking on a coastal wall covered with oil from the damaged MSC Chitra ship, in Mumbai on August 10, 2010.
Taking a grim view of the situation, another Mumbai-based environmentalist Rishi Agarwal expressed his concern over the disaster management facilities.
A pet owner walks his dogs, their paws wrapped with plastic material to protect from oil leaking from the damaged MSC Chitra.
"There has to be a strategy to avert such spills rather than desperate measures undertaken later to contain the effects," Agarwal said.
Children in Geetanagar area place handprints from oil leaking from the damaged MSC Chitra ship which spread to the coast of Mumbai on August 10, 2010.
Environmental emergency teams have been put on alert to mobilise for a clean-up operation, while fishermen have been told not to put to sea until the all-clear has been given.
Such a system has been successfully used by New York to preserve watersheds in the Catskill mountains. Another mechanism could be the creation of tradable development rights.
To conclude, the growth of small cities like Coimbatore is economically beneficial but still needs to be actively managed. This is especially true when it creates an urban sprawl near environmentally sensitive areas. Both the physical and regulatory infrastructure needs to be primed to guide urbanisation along a sustainable path.
