As we all know at present the tourism sector is the backbone of Goan economy. The Silver Sand beaches of Goa are the reason for the flourishing business and once the beaches are under great threat, the tourism business will be affected causing great hardship to the stakeholders. The greasy petroleum product keep surfacing on the southern coastline from Velsao to Mobor.
The National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula and State government have named it as “tarballs”. As we all know, tar is a last grade which can be extracted from crude oil. I really don’t know the composition of it, but as a seafarer myself I can say it is a petroleum product either from the unauthorised discharge of oil tanker tank washing, engine room oily bilges or from oil exploration in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of India.
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Requesting all the authorities, especially the State government and NIO to find the source of this tarballs and put an end to the nuisance. Don’t just neglect it calling it a yearly phenomenon.
Other than destroying the Silver Sand beaches, the tarballs can affect the fisheries business and get into the food chain through fish.
The Tourism Ministry will wash their hand by saying beach cleaning agency is engaged to clear the tar balls, but that is not enough. Also check if this bio-hazard waste is properly treated and disposed or just collected and dumped or buried in the sand dunes.
