ONGC leak take for Kolis seek Rs 100 crore compensation

ONGC leak take for Kolis seek Rs 100 crore compensation

MUMBAI: The oil and fishing industries that feed off each other have grown further apart after last week's leak from an Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) trunk 80 km off the coast of Mumbai.

Thousands of Koli fishermen, who do brisk business every day in areas affected by the leak, have demanded Rs 100 crore in compensation from the state government and ONGC. The fishermen have threatened to take legal action if their demands are not met within 15 days.

Damodar Tandel, Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti president, said: "The breeding season has begun and the spill, which is continuing, could affect the livelihood of 2,000 small fishermen along the western coastline. The ONGC and state government must accept responsibility for their failure to stop the leak and compensate the poor fishermen."

The leak in the Uran trunk oil pipeline last week affected around four sq km. The coast guard claimed it had brought the situation under control, but the Samiti said that oil continues to flow into the high seas causing major damage to marine life. "The coast guard said only 50 tonnes of oil has leaked so far but our estimate is that it is 100 tonnes. Why are they misguiding the people," Tandel asked.

When the Panamanian MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia-111 cargo ships collided off the Mumbai coast, causing an oil spill last August, nearly 20,000 Samiti members had demanded Rs 8 crore as compensation. The amount was arrived at by calculating the loss of business during a 20-day period when the authorities had imposed a fishing ban to carry out relief, rescue, and anti-pollution operations.

Chitra was carrying around 1,200 containers, which had over 266 tonnes of fuel, much of which spilled into the sea. "Eight months and several promises later, even that compensation has not been paid to us," Tandel said.

Read more: Kolis seek Rs 100 crore compensation for ONGC leak - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Kolis-seek-Rs-100-crore-compensation-for-ONGC-leak/articleshow/7349265.cms#ixzz1BujyKO55
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Posted in: fisherman