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With the BP Mega Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico hogging the headlines elsewhere HSE (health, safety and evironmental) standards are similarly deteriorating with equally disastrous consequences. This oil spill at Mumbai escaped my attention until recently.
The two ports were shut down for five days after two ships, MSC Chitra and MV Khalija-III, ran into each other off the coast of Mumbai on August 7 and the containers from the former spilled into the sea, leaking oil. Over 300 containers from the MSC Chitra fell into the water. The Chitra had 1,219 containers on board, of which 31 held hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
The oil slick has spread to a distance of two nautical miles from the ship. The vessel was carrying 2,662 tons of heavy oil in its various tanks and 245 tons of diesel oil. Around 800 tons of oil is estimated to have spilled into the sea. The oil spill has hit shipping companies the hardest as ship movement to and from the ports of Mumbai and JNPT had been suspended. These two ports handle 60 percent of India's container traffic.
The total number of containers handled at each of these ports had dwindled to 10-15 percent of their regular capacity. It was estimated that the trade loss incurred could touch the $4 billion mark if the issue was not resolved by the weekend. Exporters and importers turned to the government seeking financial relief. About 33,000-35,000 export boxes are inside the three terminals at the JN Port awaiting the arrival of vessels for loading while nearly 20 vessels have been diverted to other ports.
