10 October 2013
NEW DELHI: Concerned over environmental damage caused due to an oil spill off Uran coast near Mumbai, the Environment Ministry today constituted a team to inspect the site and issued a show cause notice to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
The ministry also ordered the closure of the faulty ONGCpipeline responsible for the spill.
"A show cause notice is being issued to ONGC to explain why action should not be taken against them (ONGC) under Environment Protection Act 1986," an MoEF statement signed by Environment MinisterJayanthi Natarajan said.
An oil spill was reported at Mumbai-Uran Trunk oil pipeline near Mumbai following a rupture in ONGC's main pipeline that carries crude from the offshore Mumbai High fields to land.
The inspection team would be headed by member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) J S Kamyotra. The team will make an immediate site inspection and submit its report to the ministry by October 14, the MoEF statement said.
ONGC had earlier said the oil leakage has been controlled and measures have been initiated to deal with the small spill in the sea. There was power tripping due to rains, which led to a small leakage developing in the pipeline, an ONGC official had earlier said.
The Mumbai-Uran Trunk oil pipeline had ruptured in January 2011, causing a major oil spill 80 km from the Mumbai coast. The spill had spread to around 4 sq km.
In August, an oil spill has been reported in the coastal areas of Gulf of Khambhat following a rupture in ONGC's pipeline near Bhadbhut village of Bharuch district of Gujarat.
Published by: The Economic Times