It has been three weeks since the oil spill was caused by a ruptured pipeline at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) Uran plant, off Navi Mumbai in India, and fishermen are not happy with how ONGC has handled the situation on the coast.
Many fishermen claimed that their business has been badly affected as the fish they have been catching since the oil spill either stink or are dead. “The catch stinks and there are traces of oil on the fishes. No one is willing to buy the catch. We have lost our reputation and business as well,” said Pramod Gharat, a local fisherman from Uran. He added that their daily income has gone for a toss.
The fishermen also claimed that there are traces of oil near the coast and the area near the Dargah Sharif in Uran even today. However, the Pirwadi beach is looking cleaner now, following hectic efforts by the ONGC team. “The water that hits the shore mixes with the oil on rocks and adversely affects the marine life here. This is our only source of income and
The government and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) should look into the matter seriously, as this is not the first time such lapses by ONGC have occurred,” alleged Naushad Qureshi, a local fisherman.
The fishermen confirmed that a director from ONGC had visited the site, but did not meet them. “The sarpanch met the director but even
We should be allowed to meet the ONGC top brass, so we can make them understand our situation,” said another fisherman, speaking on condition of anonymity.
They also alleged that the waste from the ONGC plant is not filtered, as the company claims.
An official working at the ONGC Uran plant met this correspondent and spoke on condition of anonymity. “The plant is 30 years old and there are leakages quite often now. We have asked our seniors to look into the matter. The plant needs work as there is a risk of leakage,” he said.
A delegation of fishermen met the state fisheries minister earlier this week at Mantralaya to discuss their problems. The minister has assured them that he will get back after discussing the matter with ONGC officials.
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