After two cargo ships collided near the Kamarajar Port in Ennore on Saturday last, there has been a massive oil spill which has polluted the entire coastline of Chennai.

While on Monday morning the oil polluted the waters of the Marina, it reached the shores of Besant Nagar and Tiruvanmiyur last evening. “It was around 3 p.m. when we saw something black on the water. Within an hour, the sands were full of oil and we could see dead tortoise everywhere on the shore,” said a fisherman of Tiruvanmiyur.

“As there was no oil in mid-sea, we went fishing and had a good catch. It would be better if they clean the coast as soon as possible as we are unable to spread the net in the sand to clear the fish,” he added.

However, residents of the neighbouring areas said that the fish smell of kerosene and it might lead to food-poisoning if consumed. “Some fish might have consumed the oil. And the fisherman can’t see dead fish in their nets as they catch a large number of fish. I advice people not to consume fish this week,” said a resident.

Fishermen near the Marina have not been able to go fishing since Sunday as they fear skin problems. “Also, it is impossible to take the boats now,” said one of them.

Till now, only a fraction of oil has been cleared.

In Marina, the rocks are still coated with oil sludge. As there was no proper equipment, people scooped out the oil. The process has been very slow and the oil polluted the entire coastline of Chennai in the meanwhile.

An official supervising the clean up operation said dispersant will be poured on the oil today so that it breaks down into blocks, making it easy to clear. This process will be followed by a foam wash.

According to environmental experts, the spill could have a long lasting impact on marine life, even to the extent of causing irreparable damage to the ecology. Crows were seen pecking on the dead tortoises that washed ashore, leading to concerns about the crows’ lives.