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Exactly a month after the Chennai Oil spill disaster, several questions still remain unanswered. Reports of various agencies involved in the Chennai oil spill clean-up which clearly indicate
that the worst is far from over even after the clean-up. TIMES NETWORK is in possession of 4 documents that reveal the cover up that was at play in Tamil Nadu. The Indian Coast Guard Report
reveals a shocking picture. While the Ennore Port Management and the ship owners maintained that it was 2 tonnes of oil that was leaked into the sea. The Indian Coast Guard report observes
that the oil slick could have been more than 150 tonnes. The report confirms that it was the 'Heavy fuel oil tank' of MT Dawn Kanchipuram that was damaged causing a massive oil
slick in the Bay of Bengal. The Tamil Nadu governemnt’s show-cause notice to the Chairman cum Managing Director exposes the shocking truth as to how the Ennore Port Management kept the Tamil
Nadu Government in the dark about the ship collision. The show cause notice blames the Ennore Port management of not taking steps to systematically assess the damage and assess the quantity
of oil spilled into the sea. ALSO READ: CHENNAI GRAPPLING WITH WATER CRISIS; SCOURS IN QUARRIES, BOREWELLS The show cause notice also asks the Ennore Port authorities as to why penal action
should not be initiated against them for negligence on their part that resulted in this major accident. The Central Pollution Control Board which conducted its own assessment on the Chennai
Oil Spill confirms that sea water has been polluted and is unfit for designated use. The CPCB directs TN Pollution control board to 1) Continue to monitor water quality on a daily basis
till such time that the water quality is restored to desired levels as per sea water quality criteria 2) Provide Comprehensive water quality data on coastal waters, carried out eiter by SPCB
or any other organization/Laboratory 3) Provide inventory of all commercial/industrial activities along with their quantity of effluent discharged to coastal waters by various operation of
the Kamarajar Port Limited 4) Assess the long term impact of oil spill on flora and fauna and analyse reasons for collision of ships and suggest measures to prevent recurrence of such
incidents 5) Analyse the preparedness of Indian Coast Guard, Kamarajar Port Limited and Other Stakeholders in dealing with such disasters 6) Assess the capabilities of laboratories of TNPCB
and other NABL accredited laboratories for analysing the water samples for all parameters of concern MUST READ: INDIA TOPS LIST OF COUNTRIES IN OZONE POLLUTION DEATHS: REPORT 7) Prepare an
SOP for dealing with such incidents indication clearly that role of TNPCB and other government/NGO's. 8) Suggest measures for treatment of sand/sludge collected from beaches/shoreline
by port authorities, Coast Guard, NGO's etc. and to ensure that the recovered waste oil is processed by authorized recyclers in consultation with the TNPCB. 9) Ensure safe disposal of
sludge so collected from disaster site, shoreline and beaches in accordance with Hazardous Waste Management Rules. While the Central Pollution Control Board has issued notice to its
counterpart in Tamil Nadu; the big question of exactly how much oil leaked into the sea due to the accident still remains unanswered. These reports only go to show how both the Central and
the State government authorities have been only trying to cover-up the massive disaster. DON'T MISS: MADRAS HC LIFTS BAN ON WATER SUPPLY TO PEPSI,COKE IN TN