Now, tar balls on Alibag beaches
Herald Correspondent
MUMBAI, Sept 13
Tar balls have appeared on the beaches of Kihim, Murud-Janjira, Rewas-Mandwa and Kashid, near Alibag in Konkan. This follows the appearance of tar balls on Mumbai’s popular Juhu beach.
The Coast Guard had served two notices to an offshore oil rig operator in the last three months under the Merchant Shipping Act, after it found a filament of oil around the rig. Officials said they could not say whether the tar balls originated from the oil rigs, but the authorities should investigate the matter.
Under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and Maritime Pollution (MARPOL), to which India is also a signatory, port trusts and the director-general of shipping must take measures to prevent oil spills, have disaster management plans in place and keep equipment to clean oil spills.
Under the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, the Coast Guard is the co-ordinating agency to monitor coastal pollution across the Indian coast.
