DJ Venkatesh
Mayabunder, Feb 09: Mayabunder is considered as second major port after Port Blair Port, in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Not only big passenger ships but all types of cargo ships also use this port.
Apart from this Coast Guard and Naval ships are also using this Port, time to time.
According to residents of the area and our sources, now-a-days oil spill can be seen all around Mayabunder jetty. Some people have also reportedly complained about this matter to the Port Management Staffs at Mayabunder and asked an explanation in this regard.
A passenger vessel staff has also recently raised questions in this regard with the PMB staffs of Mayabunder and Coast Guard personnel, who are posted in CG ships, which are currently berthed at this jetty.
Earlier the Coast Guard officers denied of any spillage from their ships and blamed was passed to PMB that the PMB staffs didn’t report any matter in this regard. Coast Guard officers also pointed finger towards Navy ship, which was berthed at that jetty recently.
Later this matter came to a conclusion, when one of the Coast Guard officers admitted that on Wednesday night during manual transfer of diesel from Port to ship, there was an oil spill. As per details as there is no provision of mechanical transfer of oil at Mayabunder, the fuel is transferred manually at the remote Islands by Coast Guard.
Meanwhile, when contacted the Chief Port Administrator of PMB told Andaman Sheekha that he has not received any complaint yet in this regard.
Meanwhile, photographs available with Andaman Sheekha show that the oil spill around Mayabunder Jetty is spread over a large area and many suspect that there might be some other reasons behind such oil spill, which must be investigated.
Meanwhile, during joint inspection of Coast Guard officers, PMB along with a passenger ship crew and general public yesterday, it was found that spillage can be seen all around Coast Guard ship, which has spread around the jetty.
However, Coast Guard officers maintained that this oil will evaporate during the day, when the temperature will reach around 60 degree Celsius.
Meanwhile, people who are concerned about Ecology of these Islands are now urging Coast Guard to be extra careful in handling fuel as such oil spill will only bring serious threat for marine life and ecology.
