Odisha: Removal of oil from Malaysian cargo ship at Chilika begins

Puri: A day after Tug JIN HWA 32, a Malaysian cargo vessel that ran aground off Odisha’s Chilika lake on August 9, toppled in the waterbody, the process for removal of oil from the ship began, today.

“The oil removal process began today and might take 3 to 4 days for completion. After complete removal of the oil, the vessel will be shifted from the shore,” said Commerce & Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera.

There is no danger to the ecosystem of the lake as the ship’s engine is safe and no leakage of oil has been reported so far, the minister added. Behera said oil will be removed in phases and stored in tankers at a fishing jetty of the Chilika Development Authority.

Earlier, the Coast Guard had raised concern over possible spillage of oil from the vessel. It had apprised the Odisha Government about the threat to the eco-sensitive coastal zone off Chilika lake and Odisha coast due to the possible leakage from the cargo ship which contains 30,000 litres of diesel, 1000 litres of lube oil and 200 litres of hydraulic oil.

Notably, the Malaysian cargo ship, which was heading towards Visakhapatnam, had drifted towards the Odisha coast due to a storm in the Bay of Bengal. The ship has been anchored near Rajhans island close to Chilika lake under Krushnaprasad police limits in Puri district, since then.