The Hindu
Mangalore, May 26: Oil blobs surfaced at Chitapura beach here on Sunday evening. They had surfaced once at Panambur beach, and more than once at Chitapura beach, a month ago.
Pratham, resident of Chitrapura, told The Hindu that he was playing on the beach with his relatives when he saw some tar-like substance being brought to the shores by the waves. “But it is a common phenomenon here as oil blobs keep surfacing every now and then. However, I am surprised by large size of oil-blobs this time,” he said.
Allegation
Sunil Chitrapura, resident and a boat owner, said that oil blobs might have surfaced up to Surathkal beach. “The current of the sea being towards the north the oil-blobs may not head towards Panambur. Only when these substances appear in tourist spots, it becomes news,” he said.
Effluents
According to Mr. Sunil, the oil blobs have surfaced because of the pumping out of the effluents by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Ltd (MRPL). “They must have been pumping out effluents for the past one week,” he said.
Denial
However, a spokesperson of the MRPL had claimed about a month ago that his company was not responsible for the oil blobs. They could be the result of release of oil by some ships which arrived at the New Mangalore Port.
Test conducted
Prasad Mohanty, Deputy Conservator of the port trust, said: “Earlier, when such substances appeared at Panambur a month ago, the Karnataka Pollution Control Board conducted certain tests. But the report of KSPCP is not clear.”
To a question, Mr. Mohantty said: “Arrival of ships is not at all the reason for this. Moreover, no ships have come to the Mangalore port recently.”