(IN) Microbes used to clean Orissa oil spill to save Olive Ridley

[Guest guest]

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/enviornment/microbes-used-to-clean-orissa-oi\

l-spill_100258386.html

 

Microbes used to clean Orissa oil spill

October 9th, 2009 - 7:06 pm ICT by IANS

 

Bhubaneswar, Oct 9 (IANS) Microbes are being used to clear an oil spill caused

by a ship that sank last month off the Paradip port in Orissa, a senior port

official said Friday.

“The microbes are a kind of bacteria which live on oil. The microbes will clean

up the spilled oil on the coast, as well as in the water. The work has started

from today (Friday)” the official told IANS.

 

“On our request, The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi and the

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) sent us the microbes.”

 

The vessel, under a Mongolian flag, ran aground Sep 9 in the harbour area off

the port in Jagatsinghpur district, some 100 km from here, with 924 tonnes of

furnace oil and about 25,000 tonnes of iron ore fines.

 

Twenty-seven crew members were on board. All but a Ukrainian engineer, whose

body was found 10 days later, were rescued.

 

The port authorities said that small quantities of oil have started oozing out

of the ship since Sep 21, although out of the 924 tonnes of oil, 900 tonnes are

inside a double-bottom tank fully secured.

 

The accident spot is close to the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, one of the

world’s few remaining nesting sites for the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles.

 

--

Thank you for your compassion !

With best regards,

Debasis Chakrabarti

Compassionate Crusaders Trust

http://www.animalcrusaders.org