After the first week of December’s intense rains and flooding in the Manali area of Chennai. Petroleum oil leaked from nearby enterprises into the Buckingham Canal and the Kosasthalai River. Not only people but birds were also are affected by this. The crabs and birds found in the area have lost their natural color and present a pitiful sight.
Oil spill in the Buckingham Canal:
After the destructive cyclone ‘Michaung’, massive amount of Oil from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) on December 4 spread in the Ennore estuary and entered the sea in areas such as Nedukuppam, Ennore Kuppam, Ennore estuary, and fishermen’s residential areas. The oil spill in the Buckingham Canal near Ennore Kattukuppam has not been completely removed. As a result, the fishing boats and nets parked along the coast were destroyed by oil waste. Marine life, including many fishes, died and floated away.
The oil spilled inside the houses and caused damage to the wall areas outside. Many belongings from the houses were damaged. Due to this the local people and fishermen suffered a lot. Fishermen lost their livelihood as they never went to sea.
CBCL is carrying out oil slick removal works. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has collected the details of the victims. Accordingly, 6 thousand 700 houses have been affected by the oil spill. Rs.7,500 each, Rs.12,500 each for 2,300 fishermen families who lost their livelihood, Rs.10,000 each for 787 affected boats, and Rs.8,68,70,000 relief has been announced.
Usually, a large number of birds visit the Ennore Estuarine shoreline in search of prey, but those birds have also been affected by the oil spillage. The wings of many birds in those areas are covered with oily waste and are struggling to fly.
Can’t hunt or swim:
In this regard, Bird Researcher S. Balachander says, “Birds coming to Ennore estuary come in search of prey. They can be hunted and eaten. When birds get oiled on their wings, they become weighed down and unable to fly at their normal speed. Can’t hunt for prey either. Difficulty swimming in water. Due to this, they will not get enough food and eventually die,” he said.
Flora and Fauna affected by Oil Spill
The forest department officials said: We are investigating the damage to the fauna and flora in the areas affected by the oil spill. Most of the birds migrated from the estuary immediately after the oil spill. About 100-odd birds have been seen with oily deposits on their wings, hunting for prey in the oil-strewn waters.
“For months now, it is difficult to catch them. However, we are catching some birds and cleaning up the oil spill. If the birds are exposed to water and soil, and get sun, there is a slight chance that the oil waste will be removed by itself. This will take several months. Until then, they will have trouble finding prey. In our investigations in areas like Ennore and Adyar, we have not found dead birds covered with oil waste so far.”, Officials said.
This situation needs a permanent solution and some measures should be taken to prevent oil spills because of the natural disaster.
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